Bardock's Legacy
by aximilli452
Summary: DBZ rewritten from the beginning. Raditz is more important, Goku doesn't get the heart virus, and Gohan isn't a super powered one man army. Includes several original characters, but still focuses mostly on the Saiyans.
1. Touchdown

A/N: the first 7 chapters feel kinda rushed but there are no plans to rewrite them. this story is a continuation of my story Destined For Greatness-which isn't complete just yet- and will merge with another story of mine that i haven't put up yet. and fyi to anyone who hates me for making Gohan weaker: Gohan is my favorite character but was way more important than he should have been. Goku is and should always be the star... no matter how much i hate him.

Touchdown

Master Roshi and Bulma were sitting in the living room of the Kame house. They turned to the front door as it opened.

"Man, how did you get here before me? I live here." Krillin asked Bulma as he entered.

"It's not my fault you left." She replied rudely.

"I guess not. Here's your magazine Master." Krillin tossed the magazine like a frisbee.

"Be careful with it!" Roshi yelled as he caught it. "I like them to be in good condition."

Bulma shook her head and opened the box sitting on the table. "I brought these for you guys." She said as Krillin began salivating.

"Wow, thanks Bulma." He said as he reached in and grabbed two of the small pastries.

"Hey, save some for Goku."

"He wouldn't save any for us." Roshi said with his mouthful.

As the old man went back for seconds, the group heard a familiar ticking sound. A few seconds later, a voice they all knew rang out.

"Hey, is anybody home?"

"Goku!" Everyone said at the same time.

The three scrambled up and ran to the door. Krillin and Roshi spent several seconds trying to squeeze through the door at the same time. Bulma pushed them both out and stepped calmly on to the porch.

"Hey Goku." She said.

"Hi guys." He smiled.

"How've you been buddy?" Krillin asked as he got up.

"Great. How 'bout you?"

At that moment, a small child peeked around Goku's legs.

"Hey what's with the kid, Goku." Bulma asked.

"Yeah, did you take up baby-sitting?" Krillin laughed.

"No, he's my son."

"What!?" Everyone yelled at once.

"Come on out Gohan."

As the toddler ambled out from behind his father, Master Roshi's eyes twinkled beneath his glasses. 'Gohan huh? There's no better tribute to a great warrior.'

"Hi Gohan, my name is Bulma." The woman knelt down to introduce herself.

"Hi." he replied shyly.

"So, is he gonna be a great fighter like his dad?" Krillin asked.

"Probably not, Chi-Chi won't let me train him. She said maybe after he gets a good education, but who knows how long that'll take."

"I was sixteen when I finished school." Bulma pointed out.

"Well, that's kinda late for a fighter, but I'm sure he'll pick it up pretty fast."

"Oh wait, did she want him to go to college too?"

"Yeah."

"That's at least four more years."

"Oh man..."

-------------------------------

A small Saiyan pod crashed into the Earth, leaving a large crater. A tall man stepped out. It was a wonder that he fit. His hair fell to his knees, he wore battle armor, and had a tail wrapped around his waist. He reached up to a small device covering his left eye. He pushed a button and the device beeped several times.

"Hmph, the two strongest power levels on this planet are barely above three hundred. None of these weakling could be Kakarot. Oh well, I better check them out anyway."

The strange man lifted into the air and flew in the direction of the closest number.


	2. Immortality

Immortality 

Piccolo Jr.: defeated by Goku several years earlier in the annual World Martial Arts Tournament. He sat meditating on the edge of a cliff. He had been training hard since his defeat, and was determined to beat Goku the next time they met. His eyes shot open as he sensed a power coming straight toward him.

'Who is that? Surely Goku hasn't gotten that strong already.'

Before he had a chance to move, the alien man appeared in front of him.

"You're not Kakarot." He said as he turned to leave.

"Who are you?"

"That is none of your business." He said as he flew off.

The green demon lifted into the air as well. He shot off toward the man, suppressing his power the whole time.

-------------------------------

"So how is Chi-Chi anyway?" Bulma asked.

"She's fine. She's still after me to get a job."

"You don't need a job, they give away prize money at the tournament." Krillin explained.

"That's what I told her, but she said they don't happen often enough."

Goku's head swiveled behind him, Krillin's following shortly after.

"Who is that?"

"I don't know Krillin, but he doesn't feel familiar."

"He's strong too."

"Really strong."

The alien man dropped down in front of the group.

"It is you, Kakarot. I was beginning to think you weren't here." He said as his feet touched the ground.

"Kakarot? I think you have me confused with someone else." Goku said defensively.

"You are Kakarot."

"I'm sorry, but my name is Goku."

"Goku? You do not remember your name? Have you forgotten where you came from as well?"

"I came from the mountains."

"No, you are a Saiyan."

"A what?"

"A Saiyan. We are a race of warriors. You were sent here from planet Vegeta to destroy the people of this planet."

"What? I would never hurt my friends."

"Try to remember Kakarot. I am your big brother Raditz. I came to see you the day you were sent here."

"I don't know you, and I think you should leave."

Gohan stumbled and fell in the sand. Raditz glanced at the boy and his eyes went wide.

"A Dragonball..."

"I knew you were up to something." Krillin said. "He's just here for the Dragonballs."

"No, I am here for you brother."

"I'm not your brother."

"I was ordered to make sure you had done your duty. I am supposed to make sure these people are destroyed so that the planet can be sold. I won't have to do that though. With the Dragonballs, we can wish for immortality. We can then overthrow Frieza. With Frieza gone, we will be the rulers of the universe. I can not ask you to destroy those who raised you, but I must ask for your assistance in finding the Dragonballs."

"No way. I won't let you use them for evil purposes."

"I am going to use them to overthrow the most evil tyrant in the universe."

"I still won't help you."

"If that is the way you feel, " The Saiyan warrior phased behind Goku and picked up Gohan by the neck. "I will take him with me. If you wish to see this boy again, bring me the other six Dragonballs."

Goku charged at Raditz. Raditz kicked him in the side of the head. Goku fell to the ground, holding his head. Raditz pulled Gohan's hat off of his head and looked into the ball.

"Hurry now, I leave with my prize tonight. Whether that prize is this boy or immortality, is up to you."

With that he lifted into the air and took off. Goku looked down at the sand.

"He took Gohan... and I couldn't stop him."

"Don't worry Goku, we'll get him back." Krillin said.

"Do you really think you have a chance?" A voice said from above.

Goku looked up. "Piccolo? Go away, I'm not in the mood to fight you."

"And I am not in the mood to fight you. What I am in the mood for, is to stop that man. He must not obtain immortality. It is better if you let him take the boy."

"He is not going to have my son!"

"Your son? Isn't that an interesting development? Then you plan to kill him?"

"I don't want to kill anyone."

"Either you kill him, or your son is lost forever. I will not let you give him the Dragonballs."

"Come on Goku, we can beat him. We can gather the gang and take him on together." Krillin offered.

"No Krillin, you've already been wished back to life. If you die again, we can't bring you back."

"I will help you." Piccolo said, surprising everyone.

"What?" Goku asked.

"I said I will help you kill him. You need someone stronger than you to win."

"If I remember right, Goku beat you the last time you guys met." Krillin said.

"I am much stronger than I was then, but if you don't want help..."

"I accept your offer to help. Does this mean we are no longer enemies?"

"You wish. When we have killed this man, you and I are enemies again."

"Understood. Let's go get my son back! Flying Nimbus!"

Goku leapt into the air and landed gracefully on the small yellow cloud as it stopped.

"Can that thing fly fast?" Piccolo asked.

"Faster than you." Goku said as he took off.

Piccolo took off after him. The three Humans watched them fly away.

"Should we go get the others?" Krillin asked.

"If those two can't win, no one can." Roshi said as he went back into the house.

"Where are you going old man? We're following them." Bulma said as she threw a capsule on the ground.

The capsule exploded and a plane appeared. Bulma climbed in.

"Hurry up, we don't want to miss the action." 


	3. The Price of Nobility

The price of nobility 

"Raditz, what's taking so long?" A harsh voice crackled through the device on the man's ear.

"I have found Kakarot, but he does not remember who he is."

"Then forget about him and destroy the Earthlings."

"I have a better plan."

"What?"

"There are Dragonballs on this planet. I have taken a prisoner and ordered Kakarot to bring them to me. I will use them to wish for our immortality."

"A good plan, but what if he doesn't comply?"

"Then I will gather them on my own."

"Very well, contact me when you have the Dragonballs."

"Yes, my prince."

-------------------------

The Saiyan stood in an empty field, the two most powerful beings on Earth racing toward him. Raditz smiled as he saw his brother come into view. Then he saw Piccolo.

'What is that man doing with him? Of course, he's a Namekian. He must know the location of the Dragonballs.'

The two fighters landed in front of the Saiyan.

"Give me my son." Goku said seriously.

"Where are the Dragonballs?"

"You're not going to get them." Piccolo told him.

"Then no kid."

"I don't want to hurt you, but I will not let you keep my son."

"You, hurt me? Don't make me laugh."

"You're strong, but you can't beat both of us." Piccolo said.

"Oh really? The two of you together barely clear six hundred. I am over twelve hundred."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I won't lose." Goku said dropping into his fighting stance.

"If we must." Raditz sighed.

Raditz stepped forward slowly. Piccolo dropped into his own fighting stance. Raditz gave one last sigh and phased behind both of them. He grabbed Piccolo by the neck and threw him at Goku. Goku barely managed to dodge and sent a kick at Raditz. The Saiyan dodged easily and backhanded his brother. Goku went flying. Piccolo stood up and fired off a small orange blast at his opponent. Raditz deflected it toward a recovering Goku. The attack hit Goku in the stomach, ruining his shirt.

"Piccolo, we have to work together. It's the only way to win." Goku said as he stood up.

"I'm helping you aren't I?"

"No, you're fighting like I'm not even here. We have to work as a team."

"Fine, what do you suggest?"

"Try not to hit me." Goku said as he rushed his opponent.

Piccolo swung right at Goku's head. Goku ducked and an energy orb hit Piccolo's outstretched arm. Piccolo cried in pain and flew at Raditz.

"I won't hit you, if you pay attention." He yelled at Goku as he swung again.

The two fighters threw a flurry of punches at the super powered alien. He blocked them all. Goku threw a kick at Raditz's head. As he sailed past, he began charging energy into his palms. Piccolo threw a punch with his left hand, and while Raditz dodged it, he hit him with the right. Raditz didn't even flinch as he felt the attack. Piccolo's right arm came back for another hit, while his left stretched around Raditz's head. Two fists hit Raditz, one in the face and one in the back of the head. Raditz grabbed both arms and sent a wave of energy through them. Piccolo screamed in agony.

"Piccolo, close your eyes!" Goku yelled as he rushed around to Raditz's front. "Solar Flare!"

A bright light erupted from Goku's hands. Goku threw a punch through the dimming light. He was surprised to find that his punch was blocked. Raditz's smiling face appeared as the light faded.

"You really shouldn't yell out how to bypass your attacks." He said as he bent Goku's hand backward.

Tears formed in Goku's eyes as he bit back a scream. Piccolo blinked as his vision returned. He began charging energy.

"Goku, keep him busy. I have a plan, but it'll take time." Piccolo ordered.

"Time is not on your side, Namekian." Raditz said as he threw Goku at Piccolo.

Goku got up slowly and prepared for an attack. Raditz phased behind him and chopped him in the neck. Goku passed out, his body falling to the ground. Piccolo raised his hand at his opponent and fired a blast of energy in his face. Raditz took the blast and placed his hands in front of Piccolo's chest. Piccolo's eyes went wide as he felt the warmth wash over him. The temporary hero fell to the ground, lifeless.

"I am tired of this game." Raditz said as he turned to Goku's fallen body. "I suppose I should kill you before I make the wish."

He pointed his hand at his brother's head, he charged energy into his it, and he lowered it.

"I can not kill you brother." He muttered as he turned to his pod.

"Goku!" Krillin yelled out of the plane window as it landed.

Raditz turned to see the newcomers. "Stop where you are. Do you have the Dragonballs?"

"No way, you psycho." Bulma yelled at him.

"Then I suggest you get them, " He said as he pointed at Goku's head again. "or I might not let Kakarot live."

Just then, the device on his eye began beeping. He pushed the button and cursed.

"This stupid scouter, it must be broken. There is no way that kid's power level is that high." He said as his head swiveled toward the pod.

The pod exploded in a shower of sparks and debris. Gohan leapt from the wreckage, straight at his deadly uncle.

"Leave my daddy alone!" He yelled as he rushed Raditz.

The small boy jumped at the Saiyan, headbutting him in the chest. Raditz fell back, grabbing his attacker. He lay on the ground panting, holding the struggling child in one hand. He sat up and glanced at the pod. Sitting on the ground near the wreckage was the boy's hat. Attached to the hat was an ordinary round stone.

"What happened to the Dragonball?!" Raditz cried as he threw the boy at the plane. He crawled to the hat and picked it up. "Was it a trick?"

"The Dragonballs are only supposed to disappear when someone makes a wish on them." Bulma explained.

"But no one made a wish!" Raditz fumed. "Unless, the creator has died..."

The Saiyan looked directly at Piccolo's body. Everyone else followed.

"No one told me he created them. I would not have killed him if I knew."

"Piccolo created the Dragonballs?" Krillin asked, obviously confused.

"There is nothing left for me on this planet. Tell me, where is Kakarot's pod?"

"Goku doesn't have a pod."

"All Saiyans travel to planets in pods. Where was he found as a child?"

"Why should we tell you?"

"Do you see what happened to the Namekian? I will do worse to you."

"In the mountains." Roshi said, "Now please leave our planet."

"Which mountains? Those over there?" Raditz asked, pointing to a random mountain range.

"No, those." Roshi said pointing to the mountains where Goku grew up.

"Thank you. We'll be leaving now."

"We?"

Raditz picked up Gohan and lifted into the air. "I told Kakarot it was the Dragonballs or his son."

"That's not fair, we didn't kill Piccolo!" Krillin yelled at him.

"It's not my problem." He answered as he flew off.

"Gohan..." Bulma said as she watched the Saiyan fly away with his prize. 


	4. The Prince

The prince 

Raditz flew through the mountains looking for Goku's Saiyan pod. It took him nearly twenty minutes, but he found it. He had knocked the whiny child out on the way, and now threw the limp body into the pod. It had not been used for several years, but still seemed to work. He pushed on a side panel and it opened to reveal a remote.

"Good, the remote is still here."

He punched in a sequence and the pod closed. It lifted into the sky and hovered fifty feet above the ground. Raditz punched in another sequence and the pod opened back up. A small beam of light shot out of the pod into the sky. Raditz flew up to the pod and threw the remote inside. He looked up at the holographic projection and smiled.

The moon was what allowed the Saiyans to transform into giant apes. This Oozaru form was the result of a hypnotic trance induced by the sight of the moon. As long as the Saiyan still had their tail, they would be unstoppable. The warrior's features began to change. He grew larger as his face stretched out. He lowered himself to the ground and completed his transformation. A gigantic ape, wearing Saiyan battle armor, stood below the floating pod. He roared once and began to stomp around. He opened his mouth and began to charge energy. A large red ball of energy grew in front of his mouth.

The ball turned into a beam as it fired in the direction the Saiyan had landed earlier that day. A large explosion could be seen as it hit. Another ball began to form. Suddenly Raditz began to feel weaker. He glanced up at the fake moon, but it was gone. He was reverting to his normal appearance. He shrank to his normal size and his features became humanoid. Angered at the malfunctioning pod, he flew into the air. Gohan was trying to break the remote. The holographic projector was smashed into pieces.

"Smart kid, but that's enough."

Raditz reached in and took the remote. He punched the boy in the gut and picked him up. He settled into the pod, with Gohan in his lap, and pushed a button. The door closed and the pod shot into space.

"I'll have to worry about the planet later. Maybe we can go to Namek for the Dragonballs."

His thoughts drifted as sleeping gas filled the pod.

--------------------------------

"Raditz?!" A short man wearing Saiyan battle armor paced across the room. "What is that fool doing?"

"He still hasn't answered his scouter?" A large man asked.

"No Nappa, he hasn't. Do you think I would be this mad if he had?"

"I don't know Vegeta, you get mad at everything."

"Don't you have something to do?"

"Not really..."

"Then find something. I'm going to get something to eat."

Vegeta stormed out of the room, switching his scouter off. Nappa stood there for several minutes, dumbfounded, that is until his scouter beeped at him. He reached up and pushed a button.

"Nappa here."

"Nappa, why has Vegeta turned off his scouter?" A high pitched voice demanded.

"Lord Frieza? I don't know, he was going to the mess hall."

"That doesn't give him the right to turn it off. Get him and tell him to come here. Oh, and you come too."

"Yes, Lord Frieza."

Nappa walked out of the room and ran toward the mess hall.

"Vegeta!" He yelled as he neared the other Saiyan.

"What do you want Nappa?"

"Lord Frieza wants us to come to his chambers."

"What? He's going to kill me for missing his call." Vegeta muttered as he changed directions.

-------------------------------

Raditz awoke on a strange planet he did not recognize. He looked at the display next to the pod door. It read that there was not enough Oxygen in the atmosphere to support life.

"Great, I can't even get out to fix this rust bucket. Hopefully it's just an internal error."

--------------------------------

Goku awoke in the Kame house. He sat up and looked around. Roshi was sleeping in a lawn chair. Nobody else was within sight. He stood up slowly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ow, I hurt bad. Gohan!"

He looked around for his son. Krillin came rushing out of the other room.

"Goku, you're awake!"

"Where's Gohan?"

Krillin looked at the floor, "I'm sorry buddy. That guy took him and left."

"The planet?!"

"Yeah."

"Now how am I supposed to get Gohan back?"

"We'll figure something out. Bulma went home to see if her dad can help build a space ship."

"What about Chi-Chi?"

"She came by earlier. We told her what happened and she fainted."

"We don't even know where to start looking for that guy."

"He called Piccolo a Namekian, maybe that means he's from another planet."

"Where is Piccolo?"

"He was killed."

"Oh no, Kami!"

"Kami?"

"A long time ago, when he trained me, Kami explained how he and Piccolo were connected. If Piccolo were to die, Kami would too."

"So Kami created the Dragonballs. That's why they turned to stone."

"The Dragonballs are gone?"

"Yeah."

"So much for wishing Gohan was back." 


	5. I Can Fix It

I can fix it 

"You wanted to see us Lord Frieza?"

"Yes Vegeta, come in. I have some questions for you two."

"Yes my lord?"

"Where is Raditz?"

"On Earth, where you sent him."

"And what is he doing on Earth?"

"I believe he is checking to make sure it is ready for sale."

"Then why was he talking about someone named Kakarot, or Dragonballs?"

Vegeta's face widened in shock. 'Of course he was listening in. I was a fool to think he wasn't.' Out loud he said, "I asked him to seek out the Saiyan that was sent there."

Frieza pointed at Nappa and fired a small beam of energy through his heart. "I'll give you one guess why that wasn't you."

Nappa's corpse fell to the ground with a thud. Vegeta looked at his monarch's face in wonder.

"I'll tell you why. It's because the plan to overthrow me was not yours. It was that idiot Raditz's. You are still valuable to me. I currently can not contact Raditz. I want you to find him and kill him. I am going somewhere for a few days. Report when I get back."

Vegeta bowed in respect and backed out of the room. As the door closed, he turned and hurriedly walked toward the mess hall. On the way he pushed the communication button on his scouter.

"Raditz?... Raditz?!"

"Prince Vegeta?"

"Finally. Where are you?"

"I'm not sure, it's a planet that isn't logged in our files. There's no Oxygen though."

"What are you doing?"

"My pod was destroyed, so I had to borrow Kakarot's. It crashed on this planet while I was sleeping."

"Upload the coordinates to my scouter, I'll be there after I eat."

"That isn't necessary, I've almost fixed it."

"It is very necessary. Just send me the coordinates, and I'll be there with a more reliable ship."

"All right. I'm sending them to you now."

"All right, I have them. Just stay there until I arrive."

"Where am I going to go?"

Vegeta cut the communication and kept walking. 'There, now I can help Raditz escape. I sure hope Frieza doesn't send someone else to kill him while I'm eating.'

-------------------------------

The desert palace of fortuneteller Baba was empty. It had been a long time since Goku had been there, but he was hopeing she could help him find his son.

"Goku, I don't think she's in." Krillin said as they walked through the building for the fifth time.

"BABA!"

"Come on Goku, let's go back."

"I really hoped she could help."

"I know man, I know."

The two friends left and went back to the Kame house. When they arrived, they noticed a hovercar on the beach. As they landed a fat samurai walked out of the building.

"Hey Goku!" Yajirobe called.

"Yajirobe?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's me, in the flesh. Korin sent me to get you."

"Get me, why?"

"He says that you're needed at Kami's lookout right away."

"But isn't Kami..."

"Isn't Kami what? Too lazy to get you himself, sure is. I told you to go, my job is done."

With that Yajirobe climbed into the car and drove away. Krillin looked at his friend.

"That guy is weird."

"I guess we better go to Kami's. Flying Nimbus!"

"Why don't you just fly the other way?"

"I like riding on the Nimbus. Besides, it uses less energy."

"Show off."

----------------------------

The door to the hanger slid open as Vegeta walked through. The workers bowed as he passed them. One of them stepped up to him.

"Vegeta, Frieza called ahead, your pod is ready." He said hurriedly.

"That was nice of him, but I'll be taking a bigger ship today."

"Lord Frieza gave explicit orders that you were only to take the pod."

Vegeta ground his teeth together. "Very well."

Vegeta made his way over to the pod and climbed in. He punched in the coordinates for Raditz and the door closed. The pod slid back on the track and disappeared into the darkness. Several seconds later, it could be seen firing into space.

----------------------------

Raditz was staring at a blank screen. 'I could have this fixed in no time. Why is it such a big deal that he comes to get me?' His eyes got wide. 'He's going to kill me for failing him.'

He brought the navigation screen back up. At that moment, Gohan woke up. He immediately started to push buttons. His hand reached for the door release, but Raditz stopped him.

"If you touch that, the door will open. If the door opens, we will die. There is no Oxygen out there."

"I wanna go home!"

"If I'm right about Vegeta's intentions, you can go home."

"Really?"

"Yes, just stop pushing buttons so I can fix this thing." 


	6. Onward To Namek

Onward to Namek 

Vegeta's pod crashed into a barren planet. He opened his eyes and grabbed the prepared Oxygen mask. Once he was sure the mask was secure, he opened the door. As he stepped out of the small ship, he noticed the saucer shaped ship in orbit.

'Great, Frieza has blocked my exit. If I try to help Raditz escape, neither of us will make it off this rock alive.'

He lifted into the air and pushed a button on his scouter. Two power levels showed up in the same spot.

'Who is with him?' He thought as he flew toward them.

As he neared the pod, he saw it lift into the air. As it shot toward space, he fired an energy beam at it. The beam barely missed the speeding spacecraft. He growled and charged energy into his hands. He pulled them to his right side and a large pink orb began pulsing erratically in them. He fired the energy right at the pod. At the last second, the pod veered to the left and continued on it's course.

Vegeta flared his aura around him. 'Damn it, now Frieza will think I helped him escape!'

---------------------------

"What was that?!" Gohan yelled as he tried to look out the window of the pod.

"That was Vegeta trying to kill us."

"Why?!"

"Because I failed to get the Dragonballs as I promised."

"My mom says it's impolite to break a promise."

"It wasn't my fault. If your father had brought them as I asked..."

"Are we going home now?"

"We have to make a stop first."

"Where?"

Raditz turned off his scouter, "Namek."

He took the scouter off his head and started to take it apart.

"What are you doing?"

"Disabling the communication function."

"Why?"

"Because if I leave it on, Frieza will track us. And I still want to use the scouter function."

"Who's Frieza?"

"The most evil being in existence."

"How come..."

Gohan's words were cut off as the sleeping gas filled the pod. Raditz cursed himself for forgetting to turn it off and fell asleep, scouter still in his hands.

-----------------------------

Goku and Krillin had just arrived at Kami's lookout.

"Is anybody here?!" Goku called.

"Goku, you're here." Mr. Popo said as he emerged from within.

"Mr. Popo, why were we called?"

"I have some valuable information that might help you."

"What?"

"During your fight with that man, he said something. He called Piccolo a Namekian. It jogged a memory in Kami. It seems that Kami came here in a spaceship. He told me that he had a yearning to create the Dragonballs, that it felt natural for them to exist. I believe that Kami's home planet might also have a set of Dragonballs."

"Great, but how did you know I wanted to use the Dragonballs."

"I could only assume you would want to bring Kami back."

"Oh."

"What's wrong?"

"I wanted to get my son back."

"Your son, he's dead?"

"I don't think so. That guy took him into space. I was gonna wish for him to be back on Earth."

"I'm sure that Kami would create some more Dragonballs." Krillin said, speaking up for the first time since they got there.

"I'm sure you're right. So, how do we get to Kami's home planet."

"His ship is still in the place where it landed."

"Where is that?"

"I'll show you."

-----------------------------

"Lord Frieza..." A fat, pink alien called.

"Yes Dodoria?" His scouter crackled.

"Vegeta has failed to kill Raditz."

"He has? Well that is unfortunate. What happened?"

"He landed on the planet and began firing at Raditz, but Raditz's pod flew away."

"And did you stop it?"

"Well..."

"I take that as a no. Why didn't you stop it?"

"Vegeta was still firing at it. I thought he would hit it. He must have missed on purpose."

"I'll be the judge of that. Contact him and tell him to meet me on Namek."

"But Lord Frieza..."

"Do not question me. I will test his loyalty myself."

"Yes Lord Frieza." He turned to a console a pushed a few buttons. "Vegeta?"

"Dodoria... What do you want?"

"Lord Frieza has asked me to deliver a message."

"I tried to kill him, it's not my fault I missed."

"He knows that. He wants you to meet him on planet Namek."

"Namek, why?"

"I don't know, just do it."

"I'm on my way." 


	7. Dragonball Hunt

Dragonball hunt 

"Here it is." Mr. Popo said, pointing to a spiky looking ship.

"Wow, " Krillin said in wonder. "How do you open it?"

"It is operated by an ancient language. Kami taught it to me, fortunately."

"Great, so let's open it already."

"All right, " Mr. Popo walked up to the bottom of the ship. "Piccolo!"

"Piccolo? What's he got to do with..."

A small platform lowered in front of them and Mr. Popo stepped on it.

"Get on." He said, smiling.

The three entered the ship.

---------------------------

Several days later...

Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu were prepared to leave for Namek. Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu were informed of the situation and immediately agreed to help. They had already said their good-byes and were preparing for lift off.

"How long until we get there?" Yamcha asked.

"I don't know, " Krillin said as he worked at the controls. "It could be a few days, or a few weeks."

"I hope we get there fast. I can't stand the thought of my son with that monster."

"Yeah, imagine what he's doing to him." Yamcha said quietly.

"Shut up Yamcha." Tien said as the ship began to rise.

Yamcha looked over at Goku, whose face was buried in his hands. "Sorry Goku, I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

-------------------------

One week later...

Frieza's ship had arrived on Namek. He waited patiently for his right hand man, Zarbon, to return with the Dragonballs. He also waited for Vegeta to arrive. He knew the Saiyan prince would be there any moment. Zarbon was at a Namekian village, trying to find the location of the Dragonballs.

"Where are they?" He asked them.

"We won't give you the Dragonballs. Only someone of a pure heart can use them, and then only for an emergency."

"I am pure of heart. And if Lord Frieza doesn't get them soon, it will be an emergency."

"No."

"Then I will have to use force to find them."

The turquoise man raised his hand and fired an energy blast at the uncooperative Namekian. The man fell with a hole through his chest.

"Anyone else want to be brave?"

"We'll never help you!"

"Very well."

----------------------------

A single pod crashed into the Namekian landscape. Several minutes later, a Saiyan warrior and a child emerged.

"Power level 100,000? Only Frieza is that strong. We have to hurry if we want to get the Dragonballs."

He picked up Gohan and sat him on his shoulders. They lifted into the air and began flying toward a cluster of small powers.

----------------------------

Several minutes later, another pod landed. This one landed near Frieza's ship. Vegeta stepped out to see Frieza sitting in his hover chair.

"Lord Frieza." He said, bowing.

"Rise Vegeta. I have a mission for you."

"What is it my lord?"

"I want you to help Zarbon with the collection of the Dragonballs. He can do it himself, but I want to get off this rock as soon as possible."

"Yes my lord, I will not let you down."

-----------------------------

Zarbon picked up the large orange orb. He pushed a button on his scouter as he rose into the air.

"I have the first Dragonball sir. I am on my way to the ship for delivery."

"That is good news Zarbon. I also have good news, Vegeta has arrived and is on his way to another village."

"That will make this job easier."

------------------------------

"Please tell me where to find them, " Raditz begged the Namekians. "If Frieza gets them you will all be doomed."

"I do not trust you."

"I don't care if you trust me."

"You're being rude." Gohan said as he hopped down off of Raditz's shoulders. "He made a promise to his friend and he needs to keep his promise. He told me that a bad man is trying to get them too."

"Oh really? And why do you trust him?"

"He said he would take me home when we were done here. He's not so mean once you get to know him."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but a large group of people just died. I believe one of Frieza's men is behind it." Raditz told them.

"If a village is dead, then one of the Dragonballs is lost already. They are kept at every village."

"Then I beg you, please give us the one you possess."

"I believe that seems like the best option right now."

The Namekian went in a building and emerged with a Dragonball. He handed it to Raditz.

"I thank you. Now, they probably know already, but don't tell anyone we were here."

"Of course." 


	8. Power Jump

Power jump 

Vegeta landed in the middle of a Namekian village. He glanced around at the frightened people.

"Who knows where to find the Dragonballs?" No one answered. "I am not a patient man. I will count to five; if I do not have an answer by then I will kill all of you. One... Two... Five!"

He killed everyone there and began walking toward a building. "There better be something here..."

-------------------------

"That is Vegeta. We don't have enough time to collect the rest." Raditz frowned as he stopped flying.

"But isn't he the one you're getting them for?" Gohan asked.

"He's also the one who tried to kill me." Raditz answered as he turned toward his pod. "It'll be a tight fit with both of us and the Dragonball, so you'll have to deal."

"Ok."

The two flew in silence until they made it to the pod. Raditz climbed in with the ball and frowned.

"It seems we don't all fit."

"Then we should leave that here."

"Not an option. If Frieza gets it the universe is doomed, and us along with it. We could try to steal Frieza's ship but that would be suicide..." He turned his head to the left and gasped. "Someone is coming right at us!" He climbed out of the pod and threw Gohan in. "Hold this." He ordered as he shoved the ball at the boy. "I'll send you to your planet."

"What about you?"

"I don't fit. Promise me that you will keep that ball safe."

"I promise."

"And now I keep my promise to you."

Raditz finished punching in the coordinates and hit the door button. He raised his fist to his chest as the pod lifted off. Gohan waved as he watched the man salute. He didn't understand how someone could be so mean one minute then so nice the next. He drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

Raditz gritted his teeth and waited. He would face the wrath of one of Frieza's lackies. Whoever was coming was much stronger than him. They could probably kill him without too much effort.

'Of course with my luck they won't.' He thought as he waited. 'I'll be dropped at Frieza's feet for a fate worse than death.'

A grin spread across Zarbons face as he saw the fighter come into view. Raditz was standing in the open, waiting for his defeat.

'That small power that flew away must have been a Namekian. He must be trying to get the Dragonballs for himself.' He thought as he landed a few feet from his opponent.

"I am glad that you have accepted defeat Raditz."

"I was wrong in planning to overthrow Frieza. I know that I could never pull it off and I accept my death."

"Did you get that Lord Frieza?"

"Yes." Frieza said through Zarbon's scouter. "Tell him that it is not his time to die. I have something special in mind for him."

"Lord Frieza says that it is not your time to die."

"I was afraid of that..." Raditz mumbled under his breath. Then louder, "Take me to him."

Zarbon smiled. "Just because I can't kill you doesn't mean I will turn my back to you." He rushed at Raditz and punched him in the temple. Raditz fell limp in his captors arms. Zarbon flew to Frieza.

----------------------

Raditz awoke in a healing tank. He looked around the room as the liquid drained. Why was he being healed? Zarbon hadn't damaged him.

"Good morning Raditz." Frieza said softly. "I do hope that wasn't too painful."

"What are you talking about?" Raditz asked as the tank opened. "Zarbon didn't hurt me."

"Is that the last thing you remember? I was told that you were awake during the torture."

"Torture?" An image of spinning blades flashed in Raditz's mind. "I was tortured?"

"Oh my yes. I wasn't here of course, but I was assured that it was very entertaining." Frieza paced across the floor. "As for why... I have a very good reason."

"I plotted to overthrow you."

"That's half of the reason. The other half is that I wanted a challenge. It has been a long time since anyone outside of my own family could hurt me..." Raditz's eyes widened in interest. "I'm sure you know my Power Level is at 100,000. I'll wager you don't know what yours is now."

Realization showed in Raditz's eyes. Of course his strength had gone up after torture. It was a Saiyan trait to exponentially gain power with each injury.

"Your Power Level is currently at 87,000."

Raditz nearly had a heart attack. "You can't be serious."

"I am very serious. You have been in torture for a long time; three weeks to be exact. For all of my threats and the deaths of so many Namekians, I still can not obtain the seventh Dragonball. So I know that you have done something with it. Zarbon mentioned a Namekian flying away from you before he got to you, and your ship is missing. I want to know where that Namekian took the last Dragonball."

"I..."

"Don't try to make excuses. I have a proposition for you. We will fight, and if you win you will be free to do as you please. If I win however, you will tell me the location of the seventh Dragonball."

"You are still stronger than me, I could not win."

"I promise not to use more than 75 of my strength."

Raditz did a quick calculation in his head. If Frieza kept his promise than he could win. But Frieza most likely would not, and Raditz would die. Unfortunately this was the Saiyan's only chance to do any damage to the tyrant. Perhaps if he could weaken Frieza, Vegeta and Nappa could finish him off.

"In that case I accept."

"Good. We will fight in one hour, please be outside at that time."

Frieza walked out of the room and Raditz slumped his shoulders. He would die, he was sure of that, but he was strong enough to damage Frieza. He decided to find Vegeta in hopes of formulating another plan.

"But first I need my armor."

------------------------

Krillin's fingers flew over the keypad as he initiated the landing sequence. "We're coming in now everybody."

Tien and Chiaotzu stared at the planet as it filled their view. Yamcha stopped mid-pushup and made his way to the front of the ship. Goku stood on the exit platform, tensed for battle. Yamcha stopped when he found Goku.

"Why so tense man? We don't even know if he's here yet."

"I can feel enormous energies coming from the planet. Can't you?"

"I don't feel anything. Are you sure it's not just nervousness?"

"I'm not imagining things Yamcha, I know we're in for a fight."

"I trust you man, I'll tell the others." With that he headed to the front of the ship again. As he stepped onto the bridge he repeated Goku's message. "Hey guys, Goku says were in for a fight."

Tien turned and smiled. "We know already, two huge energies."

"Am I the only one who can't sense them?" Yamcha asked, visibly aggrivated.

"No, " Krillin said as he pushed a button. "Tien and Chiaotzu are psychic, remember? They can feel the fighters easier than us."

"And they're going to fight each other." Chiaotzu added quietly.

"So what are we worrying about? Let them kill each other."

"What if the winner attacks us?" Tien asked.

"Shut up..." 


	9. A Father's Demand

A father's demand 

Raditz turned a corner and stopped dead in his tracks. Vegeta glared at him.

"Prince Vegeta, I was looking for you."

"Shut up."

"What?"

"I said Shut Up. I do not want to speak to you."

"Vegeta, I must speak with you."

"Why, so you can tell me another half baked plan to overthrow Frieza? Nappa can't die for you again you know. And I'll be damned if I'm letting you drag me to hell."

"Nappa is dead? That explains his absence... Regardless, we can kill Frieza. I will weaken him in our fight and you can finish him off."

"Listen to me Raditz; I would rather none of this happened. I will soon be the last Saiyan, and I have no heir. When I die that's it for our species. Do you understand the term Extinct? I will not end our race here and now. Frieza will kill you, I am certain of that, and even with your newfound power you are an ant compared to him."

"I am strong enough to weaken him."

"And I am smart enough not to listen to you." With that Vegeta walked past his former ally.

"I am on my own..." Raditz mumbled as he headed outside.

In another room of the ship, a soldier scanned the planet constantly for any sign of life. All known Namekians had been herded together in order to keep them under observation. They could not risk killing anyone. The screen flashed and auto-zoomed to an empty patch of land.

"Life over there?" He mumbled as he brought up the advanced HUD.

Indeed there was life. Five blips of life were huddled together near what appeared to be a ship.

"The Namekian that left the planet must have brought back reinforcements. How unlucky for then that they are too weak to do any harm." He pushed a button on the console. "Attention all personell, five beings have been detected at coordinates N3-9C. Immediate capture is requested. The group has a combined power of 1,550."

Zarbon sighed and pushed a button on his scouter. "Vegeta, since you do not wish to watch the upcoming fight please take a few soldiers and round up the stragglers."

His earpiece crackled. "Why don't you do it?"

"Lord Frieza has demanded that I witness the death of Raditz. Besides, I am in charge of the ship until after the fight."

"Fine, but I do not need help."

------------------------

"All right everyone, suppress your power from here on out." Krillin said as he looked around nervously. "We don't want these guys sensing us and postponing the fight to kill us."

"But that means we have to walk..." Yamcha complained.

"Would you rather fly into an attack?" Tien asked him.

"I guess not."

-----------------------

Vegeta stopped cold halfway to his destination. He pushed a button on his scouter several times. All five powers had suddenly blinked out of existance. He pushed the other button.

"Security, come in."

"Security. Is there a problem Vegeta?"

"My scouter is malfunctioning; it no longer shows the five beings."

"Understood, I'll let you know when they... Hang on. I'm not picking them up either. You'll have to head to their last known coordinates. I believe they may be jamming our energy readers."

"Isn't that just great."

------------------------

"Hey Krillin?" Goku asked as they walked.

"Yeah Goku?"

"Does one of those powers feel familiar to you?"

"Kinda. It's like that guy who took Gohan, but a lot stronger?"

"Yeah, what if he was hiding his true power from us?"

Krillin visibly shivered. "I hope not."

"I hate to interrupt," Tien said loudly. "but we have company."

Vegeta laughed at the situation. He had come expecting Namekian warriors, but instead found himself looking at something completely different. Five beings not too different from himself were walking like nothing was going on. In fact, one of them looked kind of like Raditz' father. Could it be that Kakarot had come to Namek? He landed in front of the now battle ready men.

"Hello." He said with sincere happiness.

"H-Hello." Krillin replied.

"If I may be blunt, would you be Kakarot?"

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Goku said angrily.

Vegeta's scouter beeped at him as Goku stopped suppressing his energy. "500? Is that all... It's a wonder you even made it here. I would however like to know how you hid your power from me."

"That's none of your business. You know the man who took my son correct?"

"Your son? Interesting... But I assume you're referring to Raditz."

"That's right. I want my son back."

"Unfortunately, whoever your son may be, Raditz was found alone. I can not give you someone I don't have."

"Give me my son back now!"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow in surprise as Goku's power raised fifty points. "I don't have your son. But if you want a fight, I'm only under orders not to kill Namekians. You will die."

Vegeta flared his aura and rushed Goku. Goku was caught off guard and sent backwards with a kick to the stomach. The others all flared their auras and attacked Vegeta. Vegeta smiled as their powers appeared on his scouter. A combined power of 1,600 and they thought they had a chance. His Power Level was almost 10,000. He dodged their attacks and dealt out the punishment. 


	10. Full Moon

Full moon 

Yamcha went sprawling to the ground. He looked up in time to see Vegeta's scouter hit him in the face.

"Put that on." Vegeta instructed. "It will show you how much stronger I am."

Yamcha warily did just that. He put it on his head and gasped at what he saw. "Hey guys... I'm not sure what these numbers mean, but his number is higher than all of us put together."

"Take that thing off and help us fight him." Tien ordered. "He's just trying to scare you."

"Am I? You are aware that I'm toying with you right?"

-----------------------

Frieza stood still as he watched the numbers on his scouter. Vegeta was obviously fighting the stragglers, but was not finishing them.

'He must be trying to stay away from the fight.'

The self appointed Ruler of the Universe turned his attention to the Saiyan walking out of the ship. Raditz was wearing his armor, which wouldn't help, and looked like he actually believed he could win. Frieza smiled.

"Shall we begin?" He asked the Saiyan.

"If you're ready, so am I"

"Then let us get started."

Raditz powered up to his max strength. He could feel much more energy than he was used to. And his scouter indicated that Frieza was only at 75,000. At least he was pretending to play by the rules.

Frieza waited patiently for Raditz to attack. He was not disappointed. Raditz let loose a loud scream and brought both hands forward. He unleashed an enormous beam that heated the air around it. Frieza took the attack head on. Raditz continued his assault for three minutes. When the smoke cleared, Frieza was smiling. His body looked as if it hadn't been touched.

"How is that possible?"

"Don't give up Raditz. Try again."

Frieza's mocking laughter enraged Raditz. The Saiyan warrior launched himself at his opponent, leaving an indented trail behind. He kicked Frieza in the side of the head. Frieza flew sideways and righted himself.

"It looks like you've started." He mocked as he flew at Raditz.

Raditz dodged the punch and threw one of his own. Frieza blocked and kicked. Raditz flew back a few feet and retaliated with a set of kicks. Frieza took all three. The evil tyrant grabbed Raditz's foot with his tail and threw him at the ground. He followed up with a two punch combo and a kick to the ribs. Raditz doubled over as the foot dug into him. Frieza's tail wrapped around his neck and he froze.

Images of wire coiled around his neck played before his eyes. He felt them cut into his jugular, felt the blood drain from his body. And then it was over. He was back outside in the dirt. Only now he was being choked to death. He gathered energy into his hands and grabbed the tail around his neck. He fired the energy through the tail at full force. Frieza recoiled in shock as his tail released. He hadn't expected the surge of energy to feel the way it did. He expected a tingle maybe, but he didn't expect pain. He wanted more.

Raditz rose to his feet and smiled. "Weren't expecting that one, were you Frieza?"

"I admit it was surprising. Can you do it again?"

Raditz charged energy into his hands and brought one to each side, about chest level. He let out a cry of rage and pointed them foreward. An orange beam flew at Frieza and pushed him back. Frieza, hands outstretched, struggled to push the beam back. He surged power to the surface and began pushing his own beam back. Raditz's scouter beeped as Frieza pushed his power to the surface. He frowned as he realized that this was the end of the fight. Frieza was at full power now.

Desperate to do as much damage as possible, Raditz pushed every ounce of energy he had into the beam. Frieza kept the beam at bay for a few seconds, then in a burst of power he pushed it back. The two attacks washed over Raditz. Frieza walked calmly over to his victim.

"I believe you are outmatched." He laughed as Raditz struggled to rise.

"And you broke the agreement. Although I can't say I'm surprised."

"I'm hurt... I broke nothing, except maybe your pride."

"A Saiyan's pride can not be broken. And you promised not to use more than 75 of your power."

"And I haven't."

Raditz's head shot up. He stared into Frieza's eyes. He may have been evil, but he was sincere. A thought that scared Raditz more than anything else in the universe.

"I am using much less than 75. If I were to exceed 50 your scouter would explode."

Raditz suddenly wished he knew how high the power readings went. The fight truly was over. But there was nothing that Frieza could do to make him reveal the location of the Dragonball.

"Don't look so down, you still have a chance." Frieza laughed as he pushed his foot down on the Saiyan's back.

Raditz sucumbed under the pressure. He was beaten he knew, but Frieza would not kill him yet. He would suffer until Frieza realized he wouldn't give up the location of the Dragonball... and then he would suffer for being stubborn.

-----------------------

Gohan was dreaming. It was a dream of his father and his kidnapper fighting together against a single foe. But there was someone else, someone oddly familiar. That person was hurting Goku and helping Raditz at the same time. The little boy turned in the pod and curled up to the large orb next to him.

----------------------

Vegeta looked around at the beaten warriors. They were no match for him, and yet he still hadn't killed them. He knew that Frieza had beaten Raditz, the scouter painfully pointed out every surge of power. He looked right at Goku.

"For some reason I don't feel like killing you. You are lucky. If you leave the planet now, while everyone's distracted by the fight, you will be unnoticed."

"Not... without... my son..." Each breath was painful.

"I told you before that your son is not here. I will make sure that Frieza does not kill him when Raditz reveals the location."

Goku thought for a moment. He knew he couldn't beat this foe, but he couldn't leave without a destination either.

"I won't leave... without my son. I'll die first."

"I understand."

Vegeta extended his hand. Goku smiled as he extended his own. The two hands were an inch apart when Vegeta's turned. It pointed at Goku's head and a blast launched from it. Everyone froze as Goku's lifeless body fell back to the ground. Vegeta turned to Krillin.

"You seem to be the brains of this group. I suggest you leave now... unless you want to end up like Kakarot."

"R-Right."

The four survivors staggered back toward their ship, Goku's body in tow.

-----------------------

"Come now Raditz, don't give up." Frieza mocked.

The Saiyan warrior was at a loss. He couldn't win, but he couldn't die either. He would suffer beating after beating forever. He tried to look up at Frieza but he was too weak. The now night sky was full of stars. Raditz thought of the countless times he had fought on other worlds at night. With the moon he had a distinct advantage over his enemies.

'That's it!' He thought. "If there is a moon, then I can win.'

He desperately searched the night sky for the familiar glow. Frieza smiled and pushed his foot down harder. Raditz grunted in pain but did not stop his search. He was about to give up when he spotted a faint light on the horizon. The moon could not be seen from his location. He would have to fly if he had any hope of survival.

"Frieza, I do not think I can beat you..."

"Oh?" Frieza's foot lessened it's pressure.

"I," Raditz pushed himself to his feet in one quick motion. "know I can!"

The Saiyan launched himself into the air and flew to the light.

"So now I chase the monkey..." Frieza followed lazily.

----------------------

Vegeta stared into the distance. Raditz was on his way, and Frieza followed closely. Raditz seemed to actually believe that Vegeta would help him.

"That moron, I won't die today." His scouter beeped as Raditz's power began rising. "How?" Vegeta turned slowly and gasped. "The moon! He's going to transform. He might actually win."

Vegeta felt his own transformation begin. His face elongated, his muscles bulged. Fur sprouted across his body. A few seconds later he turned. Two giant apes stared at each other. A slow clap echoed from behind Raditz. He turned and Vegeta looked around him.

"I'm impressed." Frieza started. "Impressed that your tiny brain was able to think of transforming."

"Oh really?" Raditz's voice was deeper now. "I wouldn't laugh if I were you."

"And that's why your not me. I know that you are stronger than me now. But I am still holding back."

"What?" Vegeta was surprised by the news.

"I knew about the moon tonight; that's why I chose to fight you now. I do not know how strong you are because I turned off my scouter. And yours have broken during your change." The tyrant raised both arms as if to surrender. "Unfortunately for you, I can transform as well."

Both Oozaru's widened their eyes at that last comment. Frieza began to shift. His body grew larger and his horns bigger. After almost a minute he stood over seven feet tall. He was still an insect compared to his adversary, but he was much stronger.

"My power level in this form would read at 300,000. You can not hope to..." Raditz smashed his fist onto Frieza's head. Frieza was buried chest deep in the ground. "I see you are stronger than I thought."

He shot into the air and began changing again. His face began to stretch. Raditz struck his hand out and grabbed the small changeling in his fist. He squeezed as hard as he could. Frieza's horns multiplied and shrunk. His tail thickened and snapped as his transformation neared it's end. Vegeta stared in awe at the exchange of power between the two.

Frieza stopped changing for about three seconds and then began anew. His face shrunk back to normal proportions and his horns disappeared all together. His armor-like skin became shiny, as if someone had polished it. He was now back to his original size as well. Raditz knew he was done changing and smiled. Frieza smiled back. 


	11. Death of a Saiyan

Death of a Saiyan 

Frieza's tail cracked like a whip. He pushed his arms away from his body. Raditz's eyes widened as he realized that he could no longer crush his prisoner. He added his other hand and squeezed as hard as possible. Frieza continued to push himself free. With a small grunt he broke the grip and flew into the air. Raditz glared at the tyrant.

"Vegeta, help me." He said as he stared his opponent down.

Frieza looked at the other ape for the first time. "Yes Vegeta, help him."

"Lord Frieza, I... I couldn't fight you."

"Come now Vegeta, I'm not stupid. I had planned on killing you from the start."

"What?!"

"You are part of a race of traitors. I will kill the two of you, just like I did your fathers."

"My father? Then the meteor..."

"Was a lie. I killed your pathetic race. I rid the universe of those filthy monkeys."

"You are responsible?!" Vegeta's anger got the best of him. His aura flared and he began charging energy into his hands.

"Oh yes. And I especially enjoyed watching Bardock die. He actually thought he could kill me... I see where you get it from Raditz."

Raditz lost control at that moment. Vegeta fired a blast from each hand. Frieza easily caught them both, but was blindsided by Raditz. He flew backward. Raditz began pounding Frieza mercilessly. Vegeta joined in and the two Saiyans battered their foe. Frieza laughed as he took damage. It had been so long; he was finally remembering what it was like to hurt.

'I should have told them the truth ages ago.' He thought as he flew into the ground.

Raditz charged energy in his mouth, Vegeta did the same. The twin beams bit into the earth as they punished Frieza. When the beams stopped, several minutes later, Frieza was nowhere to be seen. Raditz beat his chest in victory and began stomping the ground. Vegeta still had control of his thoughts and therefor knew it wasn't over. He spun around in search of the small man.

Frieza exploded from undergound and startled Raditz. The giant ape stumbled backward into his ally. Vegeta pushed him out of the way and fired several blasts at Frieza. Raditz hit the dirt face down. Frieza flew out of the way of Vegeta's attacks and began charging energy into his right hand. The purple energy flattened and spun faster and faster. He took one of Vegeta's blast in the back in order to get a clear shot at Raditz. Raditz stood shakily. Frieza let the disk of energy fly. It sliced through Raditz's tail and bit into his leg as it passed.

Frieza took several more blasts from Vegeta. He no longer cared what Vegeta was doing; he was watching Raditz revert to his normal form. Raditz shrunk and began to shake violently. As the last of his transformation wore off, Raditz collapsed onto the ground and continued to shake.

"I think he's having a seisure... too bad." Frieza turned back to Vegeta and smiled. "Goodbye."

Vegeta stopped firing energy and stared. Frieza raised his hand and pointed one finger at Vegeta's chest. A small beam of energy lanced out at the Saiyan. Inches away from death, Vegeta was saved. In a last act of desperation Raditz had surged his energy into a bomb. Frieza was thrown sideways and Vegeta back.

Vegeta looked over at Raditz's still body. 'You have saved my life... I thank you for your sacrifice.'

Vegeta fired a blast from his mouth at the moon. He began flying to his pod before it even hit. Frieza shook his head and looked at Raditz. He fired a crescent shaped blade of energy at him, splitting him in half. He then flew after Vegeta in anger.

-----------------------

Explosions rocked Frieza's ship. Zarbon was outside trying to stop Vegeta from fleeing the planet.

"Give up Vegeta, you are weaker than me."

"Shut up Zarbon. You know he'll kill you too eventually."

"Only if I try to get stronger than him. I'm content just to be stronger than you."

Vegeta dropped to the ground. Zarbon tried to follow, but was cut in half by Frieza's Death Wave. He mouthed the word "Why" as he fell to the ground. Frieza fired wave after wave of energy at Vegeta. The Saiyan dodged them all. He didn't know how he was doing it, but he was thankful. Frieza's ship exploded in a ball of flames. Frieza fired another beam, this one not at Vegeta.

Vegeta cursed under his breath as his pod exploded. He only had one more chance to escape the planet: Kakarot's ship. Hoping they hadn't left yet, he flew on. Frieza had destroyed every ship he knew of. There couldn't be another way off of the planet, but Vegeta was still searching for something. Frieza wasn't going to let him find it.

------------------------

Krillin worked frantically at the controls. Everyone had felt the jumps in power and wanted to get away now. Unfortunately, Krillin was blanking under the stress. He had started the launch sequence but couldn't get the door to close. As the huge power headed straight for them, Krillin threw up his hands and stood up.

"What are you doing?!" Yamcha screamed.

"I don't know." The monk answered.

He walked over to the hole in the bottom of the ship. He jumped down to the platform and began kicking it.

"Stupid piece of junk. I swear if I had a Namekian with me..." He tried lifting it into the hole. "Kami could close it. Hell, I bet even Piccolo could..."

The platform pulled away from his grasp and sealed shut.

"Now it decides to work! PICCOLO!"

The platform lowered to the ground. He flew up into the ship and called out the password again. The platform began to rise. Just before it closed Vegeta flew through the hole. He pointed a hand at Krillin as the hatch sealed.

"Get us out of here now!"

They both stumbled as the ship lurched into the air. Tien called back from the cockpit.

"We're outta here! Hang on to something, I think that guy's mad!"

Vegeta and Krillin exchanged a look of understanding and rushed to the front. Yamcha jumped at the sight of the Saiyan but didn't say a word. Krillin jumped into the chair and began working the controls again. Tien stood off to the side and watched.

Frieza fired a large beam at the fleeing ship. At the last second it veered away. Frieza screamed every curse word he knew as it escaped. He was stranded with no troops, no servants, and only six Dragonballs. Needless to say, he wasn't happy. 


	12. I Promised

I promised.

A man in an orange gi stared into the distance. Around him lay the bodies of Goku and his friends. The man smiled as he thought of what he had done. A leonine figure crushed Goku's head underfoot as it walked over to the unknown man.

"Good work Gohan. My father would be proud."

Gohan turned to the creature. "Thanks, it was fun."

Gohan sat straight up as the dream ended. He shivered as he looked around. He didn't have a lot of nightmares, but that one was bad. As the dream faded from memory he realized where he was. He pushed open the hatch of the pod and crawled out. It looked like Earth; but what part? And how far was he from his parents?

-------------------------------

"We'll be home by the end of the day." Krillin told the others.

"What about him?" Tien asked as he pointed to Vegeta.

"What about me?" Vegeta asked threateningly.

"Calm down guys." Krillin mediated. "Vegeta doesn't have anywhere to go. I don't like him anymore than you but where am I supposed to take him."

"Besides, who could make me leave?" Vegeta laughed.

"At least be useful and tell us where your friend would have sent Gohan." Yamcha demanded.

"I've told you already, I don't know. We served Frieza. Your best chance of finding the kid is to start looking on your planet. It's the only place Raditz has been to that is not under Frieza's control... Yet."

"What if Frieza figures that out too?" Tien asked.

"He's stranded on Namek for now. We need to find that Dragonball and leave the planet before his men come looking for him."

"No way,"Krillin exploded. "This is our home. We'll defend it with our lives."

"You do that. I'll take the Dragonball. If Frieza gets it then the universe will die."

"Fine, take it and leave."

Vegeta stormed off toward the back of the ship. 'I can't believe the idiocy of Humans. They think that they can stand up to Frieza, even after they watched me kill Kakarot. I couldn't touch Frieza.' The Saiyan prince charged energy into his fists and then let it fizzle out as he sat down against a wall. 'At least Frieza will never get the last Dragonball.'

-----------------------------

"Did you create the Dragonballs?" Frieza asked one of the captive Namekians.

"No sir." The frightened man answered.

"Good." The tyrant smiled as he pulled back his fist.

The man started to back away. Frieza released his full fury into the punch. The Namekian shuddered and then disintegrated into dust.

"I feel a little better." Frieza said as he smiled at another man. "I need a way off this rock. I trust you can help me."

The man nodded slowly.

------------------------------

Gohan collapsed to the ground. He had been walking for over twelve hours and he didn't seem any closer to civilization. Exhaustion took hold as he lay on the ground, breathing heavily.

"Gohan!" A distant voice called to him.

He looked up and tried to see where the voice came from. He heard it again, louder this time. He spotted several growing forms in the distance.

"It's my daddy..." He mumbled as he stood shakily.

"There he is!" Krillin called to the others.

A few second later they had landed in front of the boy.

"You don't look too good." Yamcha observed as he looked him over.

"He just needs some sleep." Krillin said quietly.

"Where's Dad?"

"Oh... Uh, he's not with us right now."

"Oh don't sugar coat it." Vegeta scoffed. "He deserves to know..."

"Why is he here?" Gohan asked, fear in his eyes.

"I'm here for the Dragonball."

"No way." Gohan said defiantly as he stepped in front of the large orb. "Mr. Raditz said not to give it to anyone."

"It's ok Gohan," Krillin reassured him. "He's going to hide it so no one can find it."

"No, I promised to protect it."

"Listen brat, I killed your worthless father. If you think you can..."

"You..." Gohan was pulsing in anger. "Killed... My... Daddy!?"

"That's right, now hand over the Dragonball."

"You killed my daddy!"

The half Saiyan child rushed the prince. He dodged to the side and backhanded the boy. Gohan leapt back up and jumped at his target. Vegeta stuck out a hand and caught the fist. A look of shock registered on Vegeta's face as his entire body was pushed back three inches.

"Stronger then I thought, but not strong enough." Vegeta threw the boy to the ground and blasted him with a small energy blast. He began charging a much larger blast.

"No Vegeta!" Krillin stepped between him and his target. "You've already taken Goku, I won't let you kill Gohan too."

"Very well. I'll take my leave of this planet."

Vegeta picked up the Dragonball and flew back to the ship. Krillin lifted Gohan into his arms and rose into the sky.

"You coming Yamcha?"

Yamcha glanced at the Dragon Radar in his hand. "I'm waiting for him to leave the planet first."

"He'll be gone before you get there."

The two flew to their respective destinations; Yamcha to return the radar, and Krillin to return Gohan. Krillin arrived to see Tien bear hugging Chi-Chi from behind.

"Look, there they are. Didn't I tell you Krillin would bring him." The three eyed warrior said as he let go.

"My baby! What did you do to him?" She glared accusingly at Krillin as she cradled Gohan in her arms.

"It wasn't me. Listen, he was kidnapped and then Vegeta tried to kill him and..."

"WHAT!? Somebody tried to kill my son!?"

"Well, yeah, sorta..."

"Where is he!?"

"On his way off the planet by now."

"Get me a space ship! I'm going to give that creep a piece of my mind!"

"Chi-Chi, you can't leave the planet." Tien explained. "Who will take care of Gohan?"

The angry woman looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "You're right." She said after a few moments. "I'm taking Gohan inside."

After the mother and son disappeared behind the door, Tien spoke again.

"Listen guys, I think we should watch after them." He paused to look into the horizon. "I'll stay here for a while. Krillin, Chiaotzu, go find Yamcha and start training. We need to get stronger if we're going to beat this Frieza guy."

"But Tien," Chiaotzu answered. "Isn't frieza trapped on Namek?"

"For now. But how long can a ruler go missing before his subjects start looking for him?"

"Oh."

"Come on Chiaotzu," Krillin said quietly. "let's go find Yamcha." The two lifted into the air and turned to look at Tien. "I'll take over in the morning."

Tien watched them fly away and then sat down in front of the house. He closed his two main eyes and began to meditate. 


	13. Preparations

Preparations 

A purple man walked into the briefing room. He frowned as he looked down at the papers on the table. They were the last reports from Frieza's team.

-Report from Team 1.  
We now have six Dragonballs in our posession. Lord Frieza estimates our departure within two days. Orders are to continue operations until his return. Under no circumstance is he to be bothered until he has obtained immortality.-

Captain Ginyu slammed his fist down on the table. The report was recieved over a month ago. Normal procedure declared that after two weeks without contact a squad was to be deemed dead and a new squad sent to finish the job. But Frieza had ordered not to be bothered until his return. No one in the entire army was willing to incur Frieza's wrath. No one except Captain Ginyu.

"Screw orders, Frieza is missing. I must know what has happened to him."

He turned and left the room. Within minutes he had assembled his squad in the launch bay.

"Captain Ginyu, why are we leaving?" A blue, reptilian man asked.

"Because Burter, Lord Frieza is missing."

"But hasn't he ordered us to continue without him until he gets back."

"I don't care. If something has happened I must know." The purple warrior looked at a man with red skin and white flowing hair. "What's bothering you Jeice?"

"Well, suppose something has happened." The shorter man replied. "Wouldn't Lord Cooler just take over?"

"This isn't about who leads us. Frieza is my friend, and I must help him if I can." His four fighters looked at him inquisitively. "And besides, Cooler would likely kill us all if he took over. Now let's go to Namek."

As they walked to their pods, Jeice leaned to the others. "I didn't know Lord Frieza had friends."

-------------------------------

Yamcha stood motionless in the grass. Ever since he had arrived back at Capsule Corp he had been staring at Vegeta. And Vegeta had been staring at Bulma and her father. After about ten minutes Yamcha couldn't keep quiet anymore.

"Why are you still here?" He asked the Saiyan.

Vegeta jumped then turned to Yamcha. "I don't know how to operate the ship. I have demanded a lesson, but these self proclaimed "geniuses" refuse to comply."

"That's because they don't know either. Krillin knows more about the language than any of us. You should have asked him to teach you."

"Then I must find him."

"Don't worry," Yamcha told him. "he's on his way here."

"How do you know?"

"Can't you feel him coming? Wait... Don't tell me you needed that calculator to see power."

"It is called a scouter, and yes I need it to see power. How can you see it without one?"

"We were taught by our Sensei." Krillin answered as he and Chiaotzu landed. "How come you're still here?"

"I can not operate your ship."

"Oh... I guess I hadn't considered that. Chiaotzu, explain things to Yamcha while I teach him the controls."

"Explain things?" Yamcha asked. "What's going on?"

Chiaotzu grabbed his arm and pulled him into the house. Bulma and her father watched Krillin's demonstration intently, Mr. Briefs mumbling "Interesting" every so often.

----------------------------

"So..." Frieza glared at the Namekian. "If I give you a small group of Namekians to help you, you can have a ship ready in a few days?"

"Yes sir." The green man replied. "Three or four men with experience could build a ship from scratch in a week. With all of these scrap parts from pre-existing ships it would go much faster. And the large ship is still partly intact, making assembly even easier."

"Good. I will give you three days. I suggest you hurry and find your helpers."

"Yes sir."

----------------------------

"And in case you forget anything, I've got a reference sheet in this drawer here." Krillin said as he pulled open a drawer in the console.

"Then I shall be on my way." Vegeta said as he sat down. "Close the hatch on your way out."

"Um Vegeta, where will you go?"

"Does it matter?"

"Maybe not. We figure Frieza is gonna come looking for us eventually..."

"Then it's best if you don't know so he won't find out."

"Maybe... But say we survive, maybe even steal the other six Dragonballs from him. Then we should track you down so we can make our wish."

"Wish? I thought you went to Namek for Kakarot's son."

"Well we did. We planned on useing the Namekian Dragonballs to wish Kami back to life. Then our Dragonballs would come back and we could wish for Gohan."

"I see. But you have the kid, why worry about it now?"

"What good is having Goku's son without Goku?"

"I don't know where I'm headed and that's better for you. If, by some miracle, you kill Frieza, then I will return here with the Dragonball."

"Really?"

"Of course there's no way you can kill Frieza."

"We'll see about that." The monk mumbled as he left the ship. "Piccolo!" He yelled as he stepped on the ground.

Mr. Briefs, who was examining the engine of the ship, was thrown backward as it lifted into the air. He wiped the smoke from his glasses as he stood up.

"Fascinating..." He mumbled as he made his way back into the house.

Krillin looked curiously at the old man and went to find his friends.

------------------------------

Bulma was flung into a wall as the ship launched. She closed the acess panel she had been studying and headed for the bridge. When she got there she cleared her throat.

Vegeta looked around and frowned. "Great, a stowaway."

"I'm not a stowaway!" She said indignantly. "You should have checked that I was off the ship before you took off."

"You should have left when your friend did." He fired back.

"Well it's too late now. Just turn back."

"I'm not going back there."

"Excuse me?! Yes you are going back. I will not go anywhere with you."

"Sorry, but I'm not turning back."

Bulma looked as if she would explode. "If you don't take me home right now..." She stopped to think. An image of Goku in pain as his tail was squeezed popped into her head. "...I'll squeeze your tail!"

His tail unwrapped from his waist and rubbed against her stomach. "If that's what get's you off... Just don't expect me to join you, I have a ship to fly."

Her face turned a bright red as she digested his comment. She hit him so hard he fell out of the chair. "PERVERT!" She sat down and started pushing buttons.

"What are you doing woman?!" Vegeta yelled as he stood up. "You'll ruin it."

"Moron, I was here when Krillin explained the controls. Besides they aren't that hard to figure out."

The ship lurched as it began descending back to the planet below. A few minutes later Bulma was flipping off the ship as it shrank from view. 


	14. Training Begins

Training begins 

Frieza stood on the bridge of his new ship. He had to admit that the Namekians knew how to build a ship. He walked down the halls, admiring the perfectly fused technologies. His ship had been merged with several of theirs, even some parts from Vegeta's pod were used. The ship rocked and then lifted several feet from the ground. Frieza quickly made his way back to the bridge.

"What are you doing?" He asked the head builder.

"Testing the systems." He pushed a button on the console. "Repulsor lifts are fine. We'll go straight to the main engines."

"You aren't planning an escape are you?"

"Of course not... You're on board."

Frieza's tail wrapped around the man's neck as the ship lifted further. "And if I wasn't?"

The man gasped for air. "No... Joke."

Frieza let go and smiled evily. "Funny."

"I'll admit..." The man said after he could breath again. "The thought had crossed my mind. But I'm not stupid. I know you could blast the ship before I could get very far."

"So you want to escape," His tail twitched. "but you are too afraid."

"That's a good way to put it."

"Good enough for me."

----------------------------

After two days of training Yamcha was frustrated.

"It doesn't feel like we're getting anywhere." He said as he dropped to the ground.

Krillin followed. "It's gonna take a while but it'll pay off." He reassured his buddy as he threw a kick to the head.

Yamcha blocked and began his own attack. "But do we have the time? What if this Frieza guy shows up tommorow?"

"Then we fight and hope he's weaker than Vegeta said."

"You know," Tien interrupted. "Goku got a lot stronger when he trained with Kami."

"Yeah, but Kami's dead." Yamcha pointed out.

"But Mr. Popo isn't."

"What if he knows Kami's training techniques." Krillin said as he realized what Tien was getting at.

"Exactly." Tien smiled.

-----------------------------

Gohan stood on a familiar green landscape.

"Why am I on Namek?" He asked as he looked around.

"I don't know..." A voice said from behind him.

Gohan jumped and turned to the new voice. A turquoise man stared down at him. Gohan looked warily at the blades protruding from the backs of his hands.

"...But I wish I knew who you were."

"M...My name's Gohan."

"Really? You shrank."

"I did?"

"Yeah, my last vision of you had you a lot older. Is that cat person here too?"

"No. Do you know him?"

"Not really, I hoped you did. Anyway, I wonder why we're here?"

Suddenly the sky grew dark and a great muscled dragon appeared in the sky. The two looked up at it and it smiled.

"I am Porunga, the great dragon of Namek. What are your three wishes?"

"Three wishes? Hmm..." The turquoise man pondered the request.

"I want my daddy back." Gohan said softly.

"I wish for the Saiyans Kakarot and Raditz to be alive again!" Vegeta's voice called out.

The two looked to the source. Directly under the dragon stood Vegeta, Yamcha, and several Namekians. The dragon winked and Goku and Raditz appeared. Both warriors looked directly at Gohan and winked. They then flew off toward some distant lightning.

"Gohan?" Chi-Chi's voice echoed.

Everything went black. Gohan heard his mom again, clearer this time. He opened his eyes, the strange dream already forgotten.

"Mom?" He asked groggily.

"Yes honey, it's me." Chi-Chi smiled as he looked at her. "You're okay now, the bad men are gone."

Gohan sat straight up. "The Dragonball!"

"What? The Dragonballs are gone dear. We can't use them anymore."

"No, the one from Namek. I promised to protect it."

"You didn't have anything when Krillin brought you home."

"That's because that mean man took it. He killed daddy..." A tear formed in his eye. "And he tried to kill me."

"Oh Gohan..." Chi-Chi wrapped her arms around her son and the two cried in silence, Chiaotzu standing quietly in the doorway.

---------------------------

"Of course I can give you the training that Goku went through." Mr. Popo told the fighters. "But you are already as strong as Goku was when he finished. I'm not sure it will help much."

Tien looked at the floor with a sigh. "And there isn't any other way to train us?"

"Well, I could try different scenarios."

"Scenarios?"

"Come with me and I will explain."

They followed him to an average room. Average except for the giant pendulum on one wall.

"This is the room where we trained Goku. It is used as a portal to past events. The user would travel to a dream world that replicated the past. It was used to train Goku by sending him back to learn under Master Roshi's teacher."

"Really?" Krillin looked interested.

"Yes, but you are past that level of training. If Kami were here he could send you anywhere... Even to a battle he had not witnessed. But sadly only the Guardian of Earth can look into the timeline in that way. I am limited to what I recall."

"Wait." Tien held up a hand. "What if we had a memory of a really strong person? Could we use that?"

"You refer to training with Goku?"

"No, someone stronger. We met someone who could beat all of us and Goku at the same time."

"No way." Yamcha declared. "I don't ever want to see him again."

"Would it work?" Tien asked hopefully.

"I believe it could. We would have to try."

"Question." Krillin raised his hand as if in school. "If it's a dream world, what happens to our bodies?"

"They remain where you stand." Mr. Popo answered.

"Then how do we get stronger?" Yamcha asked.

"It is rather a complicated process. I'm not sure I could explain it very well. Shall we try to recall your memory?"

"Yeah."

"Good. The best answers come with first hand experience. Alright Tien, since you are the one who remembers the event you will have to call upon it the first time. Concentrate hard on what you wish to see. I will be watching the entire event, even though you won't be able to see me."

Tien closed his eyes and focused on an image of Vegeta. He stood still for several minutes. He opened his eyes when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked to his right to see Krillin pointing at something. He looked to see Vegeta standing there smiling. He turned to Krillin.

"You seem to be the brains of this group. I suggest you leave now... unless you want to end up like Kakarot."

Tien looked at Vegeta's feet. It was exactly as he remembered. He looked at each of his friends.

"This time we fight."

"Right." They echoed.

The three of them charged. 


	15. Frieza's Elite

Frieza's Elite 

Frieza was finally ready to leave Namek. He demanded that the ship builders come with him to pilot. He had also loaded all six Dragonballs on the ship and gave explicit orders to protect Guru, the creator of the Dragonballs.

"If he dies, I will come back and destroy your planet."

Now the tyrant was sitting in a chair, watching the screen in front of him. As the Namekians prepared for take-off, an alarm sounded.

"What is that?" Frieza asked annoyed. "Has something malfunctioned?"

"No sir. It's a group of ships heading for the planet."

"Really?" His eyes lit up as he thought of his troops coming to his rescue. "How many?"

"Four... no Five."

Five. It could be a squad nearby that was ordered to look for him. Or it could be some of Cooler's men coming to gloat.

"Keep systems on standby, I'm going to meet our new guests. Oh... and you know what happens to you if you try anything funny."

Frieza walked outside and patiently waited for the ships to arrive. After about ten minutes they hit the ground. Frieza smiled as he saw the symbols painted on the pods. The mark of the Ginyu Force. The five fighters emerged and spotted their master.

"Lord Frieza, I am glad you are safe." Ginyu bowed as he stepped in front of the tyrant.

"Captain Ginyu, I must admit I'm mildly surprised." Frieza's smile was genuine.

"I know your orders were to continue without you, but..."

"Think nothing of it. It is further proof that you deserve your promotion. Most would not have even considered that I might be in trouble."

"What happened?"

"Some filthy monkeys made trouble for me. I am unharmed, but until today I was without transportation. Load your ships aboard mine and we will be on our way."

Captain Ginyu looked at his men. "You heard him, load the ships."

The four men began lifting the ships. Captain Ginyu and Frieza went aboard the larger ship.

------------------------------

"Hey Chiaotzu!" Krillin called as he landed in front of the small house. "I'm here!"

The little psychic came around the house, Gohan floating clumsily behind him.

"Hey Krillin."

"Are you teaching Gohan how to fly?"

"Yeah, Chi-Chi said it was okay." He held up his hand so Gohan couldn't see his mouth. "But we aren't allowed to teach him fighting." He whispered.

"Ah. Well then that's great."

"Mr. Chiaotzu says when I've mastered flying he's gonna teach me how to sense energy."

"But no fighting." Chi-Chi said as she came outside.

"Aw, but mom..."

"I won't let you go and pick fights like your father. You know what happened to him."

Krillin grabbed Chi-Chi's arm and pulled her away from the other two. "You know that Goku died trying to save Gohan right?"

"Yes I know that, but I won't lose my son too."

"I think he should learn to fight. At least that way he won't get kidnapped again."

"Out of the question."

"Well it's your decision, but he's gonna start asking for it soon. Look how well he's flying already."

"Nonsense, he'll do as he's told."

"Alright." He turned to Chiaotzu. "Let's go."

"Aren't you staying?" Chiaotzu asked.

"Nope. The four of us are going to start training at Kami's Lookout. Sorry we can't stay Chi-Chi."

"I'm not," She looked him in the eye. "you were putting too many ideas in his head."

"Keep practicing your flying Gohan." Chiaotzu called as they went inside. "We'll come check on you later."

"I hope your ready to fight some Saiyans." Krillin smiled as they left.

----------------------------

"9,998... 9,999..." Vegeta counted quietly as he did push-ups.

He had been training since he left Earth. He was determined to become stronger than Frieza. What he really needed though was someone to pound on him for a few weeks. 


	16. The Afterlife

The Afterlife 

"Goku!" A booming voice called out.

"My turn now? I've been in that line for ages." Goku muttered as he stepped up to the large desk.

"I'm sorry but a lot of people die each day." King Enma explained. "I have your record hear. Of course you will be allowed to keep your body; but where to send you?"

"Is Heaven full?"

Enma laughed. "Of course not. What I mean is that you are eligable to enter the Other World tournament. Unfortunately, I don't think you would last very long."

"That's fine, I don't feel like fighting much right now anyway."

"Huh, oh your son. He is safe at home."

"What, how do you know?"

"You may know that the fortuneteller Baba is in my service. She knows all about your situation. In fact, I have an idea. That is Snake Way." He pointed out one of the doors. "At the end is the planet of King Kai. He can train you."

"Train me?"

"For the tournament. Of course there is always the possibilty that the new Guardian of Earth will create another set of Dragonballs. In which case your friends will be able to wish you back to life. The training will pay off either way."

"The new guardian? You mean Kami hasn't been wished back yet?"

"Unfortunately your friends left Namek without making their wish. And within the next year a new guardian must be chosen. Kami has agreed to choose a succesor now. So do you want to go to King Kai's planet?"

"Yes, I want to get stronger."

----------------------------

Raditz stood shakily. He had died, but had not waited in line like the others. As he stepped into the line, the floor dropped from under him. He had fallen into Hell. He had no idea why he wasn't sentenced like everyone else, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that he had failed in his attempt to rid the universe of Frieza. As he took in his surroundings he noticed a familiar hairstyle.

"Prince Vegeta? Then all is lost." He made his way to the man.

As he got closer he realized that it was not the prince that stood before him, but the king. He circled to the front of the man and bowed.

"What's this?" He asked as Raditz knelt forward.

"New arrival." Someone said from behind Raditz.

"No need to bow here boy. I no longer rule anything."

"I am sorry, but you are still my king."

"What's your name?"

"This is my eldest..." The other voice answered. "Raditz."

Raditz's eyes went went wide. He turned and saw his father smiling at him.

"Father?"

"I'd ask how you were, but it would be kind of pointless."

"I never..."

"I know son, I know."

"You haven't aged a day."

"I am dead you know. By the way, who finally got you?"

"Frieza." He spat.

"Trying to finish the job? I still haven't seen Kakarot or young Vegeta down here."

"Kakarot wouldn't make it down here. He doesn't think like us."

"Good for him. I hope he likes it up top then."

"Are you sure Prince Vegeta isn't here though? He couldn't have lasted much longer than me."

"Were you fighting Frieza?" The king asked.

"Yes. I had hoped to finally destroy him... But he has more power than anyone knew."

"What about Kakarot?" Bardock asked. "Did he too die fighting Frieza?"

"I don't know, he wasn't with me."

"Wouldn't it be funny if he had. The entire family killed while trying to be noble."

"How could you joke of such things?! Frieza is running around killing the last of our people! He killed you!"

"Calm down son. I've been dead for a long time... I can't be angry forever. It doesn't help much. Humor is what keeps me young."

"That and the fact that you don't age." King Vegeta laughed.

"True."

"You don't hate him anymore?" Raditz asked, his head lowered.

"Oh I hate him all right. If I had the chance, I'd beat him until he cried. Unfortunately he isn't dead yet. But we keep training down here. When he finally does die, the entire Saiyan race is going to destroy him."

"But he'll be dead already."

"If your body is destroyed when you're dead you cease to exist. He won't be dead long enough to say he's sorry."

"So we just train until then?"

"Not much else to do. Now how about you show your old man how strong you've gotten." 


	17. Bardock

Bardock 

Tien, Krillin, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu opened their eyes slowly. An expansive field of green stretched out before them.

"I think Mr. Popo was a bit off in his calculations." Yamcha laughed. "It doesn't look like this planet is inhabited."

Tien closed his two main eyes and concentrated. "Do you guys feel that?"

"Feel what?" Krillin asked.

"It feels like there are people to the west." He opened his eyes. "It's faint, but I definately sense someone."

"Then that's where we should be going."

The four flew west cautiosly. Several minutes later they landed near a group of armored people. The five warriors turned to look at the newcomers.

"Looks like we missed a few." The largest one laughed.

"Goku?" Krillin asked as the leader turned.

The man looked at the small monk. "What does Goku mean? Any of you guys speak that language?"

"No way Bardock, we just kill 'em." Another man laughed. "We don't need to talk to them."

"Bardock?" Tien asked as he stepped forward. "Then you're him."

"Hey, this one I understand. Yeah, I'm Bardock. You heard of me?"

"We were sent to train with you."

"Train?" The warrior resembling Goku brought his hand up to his scouter. "1,050. The four of you really do need to train. Sorry, but I don't do charity work."

"We'll fight you whether you want to or not." Yamcha told him. "If Tien is that strong then we can beat you."

"Him? You misunderstand, the four of you combined barely clear 1,000. My power level is currently 15,000. I could blink and kill you."

"It doesn't matter." Tien interrupted. "We were sent here to fight you and that's what we're going to do."

"Alright I'll fight you, but only after you prove yourself. If you can beat Pasha then I'll fight you." He pointed to the only female in the group.

"Aw come on Bardock. You could at least let them fight the weakest of us." She smiled as she stepped forward.

"You just looked so bored."

The female Saiyan stepped in front of Tien. "Are you first?" She asked as she flared her ki.

Tien stumbled backward. "I think we should all fight her."

"I can't fight a girl." Yamcha said, horrified by the thought.

"And why not?!" Pasha yelled at him.

"I just can't fight a pretty girl."

"You fight with Bulma all the time." Krillin pointed out.

"Not physically."

"Sorry to interrupt, but now I'm getting bored. If you don't want to fight me that's fine. I'm still going to kill you."

She leapt at Yamcha and punched him in the nose. He flew backward and hit the ground. The other three leapt away and readied themselves. She smirked and turned to Tien. As she sent punches at him, Krillin and Chiaotzu nodded to each other and flew at her. She turned and blocked all of their attacks. Tien stumbled backward and brought both hands in front of him. His body shimmered and began to multiply.

"What's he doing?" The largest guy asked as he watched.

"Bringing in reinforcements?" A chubby guy laughed.

Pasha threw Krillin at Yamcha's rising form and turned back to Tien. She saw the four Tiens and laughed loudly. She ignored Chiaotzu and rushed him. Krillin stood and called Chiaotzu.

"We're gonna need everything to beat her." He said as he helped Yamcha to his feet. "Use your best techniques. It's the only way we can beat her. No holding back Yamcha."

"No worries, she pissed me off."

Yamcha began gathering energy in his left hand. Chiaotzu closed his eyes and began to shake slightly. Krillin pulled his hands to his side.

"Kame..." Pasha turned to look. "Hame..." The Tiens all formed their hands into triangles. "Ha!"

The blue beam hit the woman full force. Chiaotzu raised his right hand and pointed at her. A much larger than normal Dodonpa struck her as well. The Tiens all let their Tri-Beams fly at once. The fighters pushed everything they had into their attacks. After several minutes the attacks stopped. Tien merged back into one being. The three who had attacked panted as they waited for the smoke to clear. A quiet giggle could be heard from the smoke. As it dissapated the giggle became a full fledged laugh.

"My, that was impressive. You guys managed to singe some of my leg hairs." She said as she stepped toward Tien.

"You needed a shave anyway." Bardock laughed.

She gave him a dirty look and turned back to Tien. Yamcha smiled as she threw a punch at Tien. His Spirit Ball was now larger than several of the fighters combined. It would beat her, he was sure. If only he could get Tien away from her for a second. Tien took an energy blast to the head and fell to the ground.

"That's not good. I guess this is as good as ever." He mumbled as he threw the ball at her.

She turned and her eyes went wide as she saw it coming. "That ball is as big as your other ones. I know because you need pretty big balls to pick a fight with someone stronger than you, especially a Saiyan."

"Shut up bitch." The former bandit said as he caused the Spirit Ball to rise into the air.

She rushed at him. Krillin and Chiaotzu stepped into her path to stop her but she just tossed them aside. Yamcha knew his time was up.

'I hope you guys survive.' He thought as he brought the attack down upon himself and his opponent. Krillin stood shakily and watched the explosion. It had to work. He was caught by surprise as Pasha flew out of the smoke at him. She grabbed his throat and whispered in his ear.

"You're the last one left. Do you have a preferred way to die?"

"Just get it over with."

"You're the boss."

The four Z Fighters awoke in the Room of Time.

"Not bad for a first try." Mr. Popo told them.

"We lost." Yamcha muttered.

"And I told you that you would. The point is that you fought valiantly. With time you will become strong enough to defeat them."

"And then Frieza." Tien said hopefully.

"I believe it is possible." 


	18. Vegeta's New Ally

Vegeta's New Ally 

"Talk about your long and winding paths." Goku muttered as he ran down Snake Way. It had been several days since he started his journey and he still couldn't see the end. "I wonder what kind of techniques this King Kai knows."

-----------------------

"So," Bardock said casually as he walked with his son. "you never told me how you got so strong."

Raditz looked at his feet. "Frieza helped with that. He wanted a challenge, so he tortured me for several weeks to raise my power level."

"Cocky bastard. So how much of a challenge were you?"

"Not much. I thought I had him when I saw the moon, but he was so strong."

"You transformed and you still couldn't beat him?"

"He transformed as well. Three times in fact."

"Three times? Is that even possible?"

"Apparently. His third transformation allowed him to break free of my grip. After that he cut off my tail. I guess he didn't want to take any chances."

"It's a good thing your body in the afterlife is based on how you remember yourself. I can't imagine walking around without a tail."

Raditz's tail unwrapped as he looked down at it. "It would be weird."

-------------------------

Words of mourning were spoken. Goku's funeral was coming to an end. Everyone had agreed that there was very little chance of bringing him back now that the Dragonballs were out of reach. Chi-Chi sat holding her crying son while what remained of the Z Fighters stood in the back. They had agrred to take the day off from training to attend. As Master Roshi finished his speech about Goku's noble past, Bulma moved to take his place at the front. Krillin looked at his master as he approached.

"I want you to remember something Krillin." He said as he put his sunglasses back on. "Goku did everything in his power to bring us back to life after we died. If you so much as hear about another set of Dragonballs, I want you to do what it takes to find them."

"I agree Master, it's what he would do."

"Good. Now, until then, I want you to continue training as you have been doing. If there is any chance of getting the ones you told me about, then we will take it. I don't expect to be much help against someone stronger than Goku, but I'll be cheering you on."

"Thank you Master."

For several hours people talked about how great and brave Goku was. By the end Gohan just wished they would all shut up. There was no way any of them could understand what he was feeling. Everyone was talking about things he had done, acting like he had gone away for the weekend. He knew that his dad wasn't coming home again. He knew that he would feel the emptiness forever. And he knew he would punish Vegeta for what he had done. One day that evil man would die as well.

--------------------------

Vegeta opened his eyes as he felt a strange tingling in the back of his mind. He got up and realized that something was wrong. The floor was tilted. He walked uphill to the front of the ship and brought up the view screen. He was no longer in space.

"How the hell did I sleep through a crash?" He tried to fire the engines but was unable to get any power to them. "Great, just what I need."

The Saiyan prince left the ship and lifted it onto a flatter surface. He was now stuck on whatever planet he was on. He went back inside and put on his armor and scouter. He turned the scouter on and smiled.

"At least there are people here. Maybe I can get them to fix my ship."

He lifted into the air and began flying toward a large concentration of powers. Several minutes later his scouter beeped as many of the powers rose. Anticipating a fight he clenched his fists and sped up. The scene he arrived to see was not what he was expecting. A large ship, much like the one Frieza used, was opening it's hatch. In front of the ship was at least fifty armor clad men.

'I wonder what's going on here.' Vegeta thought with a smirk as the hatch finished opening. Out ran a woman in a yellow dress. Before she could finish descending the ramp, the soldiers let loose a volley of energy blasts. The woman fell forward to the ground.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?!" A voice called out from inside. A man dressed in brown rushed out of the ship and bent over the woman.

"We don't allow strangers on our planet." One of the soldiers explained.

"So you killed her?!" The man was on the verge of losing it. "You could have just told us to go, but instead you kill the first thing that moves!"

'Actually I was here first.' Vegeta thought with a chuckle as he watched the scene unfold beneath him.

"It's easier to kill you." The soldier said as he fired a blast at the man.

The man took the blast and flared his aura. He pulled a small silver disk from his pocket and placed it on his chest. The disk began to glow with a green energy. The soldiers looked on in surprise as a set of green armor spread from the disk.

"All units, Fire!"

Hundreds of energy blasts launched at the newcomer. He laughed maniacly as the armor absorbed them all. He launched himself at the men and began slaughtering them one by one. By the time there were only a few left, a large group of over a thousand soldiers showed up as backup. Vegeta knew that he wouldn't go undetected much longer. In fact he was surprised he had done so for as long as he had. He looked at the lone warrior tearing through his enemies. He probably had the only working ship on the planet. If the Saiyan was going to get off this stranger hating planet he would need that ship.

"Looks like I'm going to get in some better training after all." He laughed as he flew down into the fray.

He grabbed a soldier seconds before he could hit the man and threw him to the ground. He blasted his first victim and turned to another. The man in the green armor punched a guy in the gut and turned to Vegeta.

"Why are you helping me?" He asked as he blasted a group of charging soldiers.

"I'm from off world too. I need your ship if I'm to get off this rock."

"And you think I'll give it to you?"

Vegeta crushed a head between his fists and laughed. "I'm not stupid. I expect you to give me a ride to my destination. I will not attempt to harm you."

"I guess that's fair." The man said between punches. "Do me a favor though."

"What kind of favor?"

"Grab my friend's body and put it on the ship. I'll finish the rest of these guys."

"If you say so."

Vegeta threw another soldier into a blast created by his new ally. He flew to the ramp and scooped up the fallen woman. He placed her just inside the door and emerged. He smiled as he watched the strange man kill another group of soldiers.

"I'm going to get my things from my broken ship. I'll be back in five minutes." He told the man as he took off.

"I'll wait six." The man said as he killed another enemy.

By the time Vegeta returned with the Dragonball the fight was over. He stepped onto the ship seconds before the hatch closed. He noticed that the body was no longer where he put it and made his way to the bridge.

"Were you leaving without me?" He asked as he arrived.

"I said I'd wait six minutes. It's been seven."

"Well then, I'm glad you stuck around the extra minute."

The man's fingers worked at the controls. "What's with the orange ball?"

"It's part of a collection."

"Cool. The name's Orion."

"Vegeta."

"So where are we headed?"

"I don't actually have a destination yet. I need to find a place not controlled by Frieza."

"That takes out a lot of planets, especially when you combine that with the fact that I can't go anywhere controlled by the Wildfire army for a while."

"So we don't have many options."

"Nope. We are going to Mordoron before we go anywhere else. I know it's controlled by Frieza right now, but it's where she would want to be buried."

"Right, sorry about your friend."

"You know, I recognize your armor. You've probably killed millions of innocent people. Why would you be sorry?"

"Billions. I have however experienced what it feels like to know someone has killed your entire race. I discovered recently that Frieza personally destroyed my planet."

"Personally? He must have been pretty scared of them to do it himself."

"Maybe. That would make it more satisfying when I kill him."

"You think you can kill Frieza? Let me see." Orion grabbed a helmet sitting in the chair next to him and put it on. He pushed several buttons on it and turned to Vegeta. "Frieza is rumored to have a destructive power of 100,000 right? You have a power of 10,000. I'm not sure you can do it."

"Frieza is much stronger than the rumors state. At half power he is at least 300,000. I know that I can not win in my current state." Vegeta pushed the button on his scouter and his eyes went wide. "48,000? Perhaps you could help me."

"Only 48? I haven't checked myself in a while, but I would have thought it would have gone up more than that."

"You are stronger than most of the Ginyu Force, and they are some of the strongest fighters in Frieza's army!"

"Really? No wonder they take down the weak planets. The Wildfire army would make short work of them."

"Planet Wildfire is a project designated to Frieza's brother. Not that he is any stronger than Frieza, but Frieza will never attack it."

"Well that's good to hear. Now about helping you, I'm not in any shape to fight Frieza."

"You won't have to. I need to get stronger and you could help me train. All we would need to do is steal a healing tank from one of Frieza's ships on Mordoron and we would be set."

"Don't jump the gun there soldier. I've got a healing tank in the back."

Vegeta's eyes went wide. "Really? Then this will be even easier than I thought." He smiled evily. "How long until we get to Mordoron?"

"A few days. Why?"

"That is plenty of time."

"Time for what?"

"I am a Saiyan, the only one now, and we have a very special ability. The closer to death a Saiyan gets, the stronger we become because of it. If you were to beat me within an inch of my life and then put me in the healing tank, I could become as strong as you after just a few times. If you do it now, then I will be much stronger before we even arrive at our destination."

"How do I know that you won't atack me as soon as you're strong enough to hurt me?"

"I gave you my word that I would not attempt to harm you. I will keep my word for as long as you do not attempt to stop me from reaching my goal."

"So what happens if you defeat Frieza?"

"I suppose I would then need to kill his loyal followers. And then I would rule the universe."

"I'm not sure I agree with that last bit."

"I will give you a place at my side for helping me."

"Yeah, let's just get you to my level. After that we'll train the normal way. That way I can keep up with you and make sure you don't hurt anyone I care about."

"Fair enough. Are you ready to st..."

Orion laughed as he picked up the fallen warrior. "I wonder if this really works." He muttered as he carried him back to the healing tank. 


	19. Saiyan Spotlight

A/N: I would like to mention to those many reviewers, many to me is 1 since I don't ever get reviews for my stories, that I am indeed going to finish this one. Please note that this story will go on longer than the show. I already have at least 2 sagas that take place after the Buu Saga and they are the reason for any confusing plot moments, so bare with me once we get past the Frieza Saga.

Saiyan Spotlight

Vegeta opened his eyes. He had been talking to Orion and then he passed out. He had been double crossed! And then he became aware of the liquid surrounding him. It didn't seem to be the same mixture that he was used to, but it did seem to be a healing salve. He knocked gently on the glass and waited. After several minutes he saw his traveling companion come into view. The liquid drained from the tank in seconds and the door swung open.

"You gave me no warning! I was ready to come kill you before I realized where I was." He yelled as soon as the oxygen mask was off.

"Sorry," Orion laughed. "just couldn't help myself. I had to know if you were telling the truth. Put on your clothes while I scan you."

Vegeta grabbed his clothes from a nearby table and began to dress. Orion punched in the scanning sequence on his helmet and smiled.

"Wow, 14,000. And I didn't even hit you that hard."

"I told you. How long was I in there?"

"A couple hours. If you want I can actually get you near death and start you healing now. You might be my strength by Mordoron."

Vegeta, holding his shirt in his hand, stopped dressing and smiled. "That would be excellent."

"Okay, but you can take your own pants off this time."

Vegeta removed his pants and put his clothes back on the table. Orion charged energy into his hand and smiled. He shot a beam into Vegeta's stomach. The Saiyan fell to his knees and smiled. He was passed out before Orion even got him into the tank.

---------------------------

"Well son, this is the rest of the crew." Bardock smiled as Raditz bowed to his friends. "Guys, this is my oldest boy."

"Well, I haven't seen you since you started training." One of the men said as he stuck out his hand.

"I remember you. Torra right?" Raditz said as he shook the man's hand.

"Good memory. You haven't met the rest of the guys though, have you?"

"No."

"Well, this is Bordos." He said as he pointed to the largest one. "Pasha's the feminine one."

"You're girlier than she is." Bardock laughed.

"And this is Shugesh." He gestured to the chubby member of the group.

"Nice to meet you all."

"Raditz here is stronger than me now." Bardock said as he sat down.

"Is that so?" Torra asked, intrigued.

"I guess." Raditz said modestly.

"Let's see what you got."

"If you want. But first I have a question since you brought up my training. Do any of you know where my trainer is? I would love to see how strong he's gotten."

"Your trainer? I don't remember who that is."

"Komaj."

"Nope, don't know a Komaj. You might want to ask around though. I'm sure someone knows where he's at."

"Vegeta keeps track of most of the fighters." Pasha added. "He might be able to tell you where to find him."

"Right, I'll keep that in mind. So you wanted to fight me?" Raditz asked Torra.

"Let's go."

------------------------

Nappa's heart would have stopped if it had been beating. It had taken weeks, but he had finally found his king. He hurried to the man he had served even after his death.

"King Vegeta!"

Vegeta turned and smiled. "Nappa? You've lost the rest of your hair."

The large man absentmindedly rubbed his head. "Yes. I have been looking for you since my death."

"Oh? And when was that?"

"Weeks ago."

"Odd, young Raditz died only a few days ago and he practically fell into my lap."

"Raditz is dead too? What about Prince Vegeta?"

"No one has seen him yet. He might still be alive."

"I am sorry I will no longer be there to serve him. After Frieza told us of the meteor, I watched over him as I had you."

"What meteor?"

"The one that destroyed planet Vegeta."

"That was no meteor, Frieza destroyed the planet. He had already killed me by then, but a few witnesses filled me in."

"Lord Frieza? But why would he..."

"Scared of us. Thought a 'Super Saiyan' would be born and kill him. Superstition if you ask me. Of course Frieza always was a bit crazy. How did you die? Raditz didn't tell us you were dead."

"He may not have known. In fact I'm not too sure about the details myself. I was on my way to see Frieza, but I never made it to him. I opened a door and then I was dead."

"I'll bet my entire kingdom it was Frieza... of course I don't have a kingdom anymore."

"But I was a loyal servant."

"Doesn't matter to Frieza, especially after me and Bardock both tried to kill him on the same day."

"You tried to kill him?"

"It was time to stop being his pawn. Unfortunately, a lifetime of killing can't be balanced with one half decent deed. We all still ended up in Hell... Don't look so down. When Frieza winds up down here, we'll make him pay."

-----------------------

"Gohan!" Chi- Chi called as she walked toward his room. "Gohan, supper's ready." She opened his door and saw his open window. "Gohan?" She walked over to his desk and noticed a note. She read it and fainted.

- Dear Mom, I'm going to learn how to fight. I'm gonna make that man pay for what he did to Dad. -


	20. A Born Guardian

A Born Guardian 

A young man walked down a street in South City. His blonde ponytail swung across his back, brushing against the mounted katana. People stared at him, and with good reason. He was armed with more than a sword. A short staff was slung even with his waist, a collapsable arm shield was strapped to his right wrist, and a look of painful thoughts ruined his otherwise good looks. His lack of a shirt allowed others to see the scars; scars that told of his numerous battles.

He had fought his entire life. He grew up in a world that could not understand him. He was an anomely in the world of the living: A fallen angel. He was once a hero on his home planet, saving millions of lives by himself. Unfortunately he had died in the process. At the age of nine he was introduced to the afterlife. It was decided by the great King Enma that he would keep his body and train to participate in the Otherworld Martial Arts Tournament. He participated several times before deciding that he did not want the "Life" he had been granted. He begged to be treated as others who had died, but no one would listen. He even went so far as to attack innocents in order to be given different treatment.

All of his efforts went unpunished. They knew that he would not actually destroy anyone that did not deserve it. His pure heart would not allow it. So he resorted to the only option he had left: He broke the rules. Over one hundred years ago he traveled to the planet Earth of his choice. He has been pursued by Angelic Bounty Hunters ever since. Unfortunately for them, he learned of the Dragonballs. Over what was more than the average persons lifetime, he collected them. Once he had all seven he wished for his life to be restored. As a living person, he was no longer in their jurisdiction.

It has been nearly thirty years since then. Now he was being followed by the unliving once again.

He turned into an alley and stopped. "Show yourself, I know you are there. What I don't know is why you are following me. I am no longer the concern of Otherworld."

The follower formed out of the shadows. "I have been sent to deliver a message."

"Why should I care?"

"There may be a way to redeem yourself."

"Redeem myself? Have you people learned nothing?!" The man's eyes flared with hatred. "I don't want to be redeemed, I don't want to be a hero, nor do I want to be liked. I want no special treatment because of what I did in my past. If the only way to keep from being treated like a savior is to go to Hell, then so be it. I accept that I broke the rules, and I will accept my punishment when it is that time."

"But you feel guilty. You have killed hundreds, and it haunts your every move. I have been sent with a message."

"You've already said that. And you have already said the message."

"But I haven't. Redemption was a lure to keep you rooted where you are. I know that in your heart you can not stand what you have turned yourself into. The message is a request from the former Guardian of Earth."

"Former?"

"Yes. The creator of the artifacts that you used to elude us is now dead. He has chosen you as his successor."

"Me? But why?"

"Because he sees in you exactly what King Enma sees: A pure heart. You are one of the few who needs to help others, no matter the cost. You are perfect for the position. You... Are a born Guardian."

"Take me to him... So I can tell him 'No' in person."

-------------------------

Goku stared at the clouds stretched out in front of him. "This is the end, but where's King Kai's place?" He looked around and noticed a tiny planet far above him. "I guess that must be it."

He jumped up to the planet. As he neared it, the gravity caught him and pulled him down. He landed much harder than expected and sank into the dirt. He raised his head, with great effort, and spotted a monkey staring at him.

"Hello." He said as he struggled to rise. He managed a sitting position. "You wouldn't happen to know where King Kai is would you?"

The monkey raised both hands in the air and began to dance around the newcomer. Goku watched curiously and decided that the monkey was showing him how to stand in the harsh gravity. He pushed everything he had into standing and imitated his new friend. After several minutes he heard a chuckle behind him. A squat man in black robes was watching him.

"I've heard of 'monkey see, monkey do'," The man's two antenae wavered slightly. "but this is ridiculous."

"Oh." Goku turned to the man. "And who might you be?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"Oh right, I'm Goku. King Enma sent me here to train with King Kai."

"Is that right? Well if you want to train with King Kai, then you'll have to pass a test first."

"What kind of test?"

"You must... Make me laugh. And the monkey antics don't count."

"Make... You laugh? What kind of a test is that?"

"One you have to pass if you want training. Come on now, I haven't got all day."

"Right. Well, uh... There was this barber..."

"Heard it."

"You have? This is gonna be harder than I thought."

----------------------

Pasha smiled as she brought her foot down on Yamcha's gut. "I'm not sure why you are so eager to fight me, but it has been fun beating you to a pulp."

"I'll win eventually."

"I won't let you live long enough for that to happen."

As Pasha tormented her opponent, Bordos was pounding on the other three. Krillin was fading in and out of consiousness, while Tien and Chioatzu were attacking him with full strength. Bordos grabbed Tien's hand and bent it backwards. Tien screamed in pain as his wrist was snapped. Chioatzu fired a Dodonpa at his foe, but the attack was dodged. Krillin shakily stood and stumbled forward.

"Krillin," Tien yelled through clenched teeth. "help Yamcha."

Krillin nodded groggily and walked slowly over to his friend. Pasha noticed him and laughed.

"You can barely move. Why would you even attempt to fight?"

"Kame..." He pulled his hands to his right side. "Hame..." Energy began pulsing in his hands.

Pasha moved so fast that his addled brain couldn't keep up. She ran behind him and kicked him into the ground. She turned to Yamcha and was surprised to see him gone. She turned to look for him. Bordos blasted Chioatzu and widened his eyes as his scouter beeped. He turned to the source and yelled to his friend.

"Above you Pasha!"

Pasha looked up and saw both Tien and Yamcha charging energy into their hands. Tien stared at the woman through his triangular window.

"Take this. HA!"

"HA!"

The two attacks hit their desired target with full force. They pushed everything they had into the blasts and hoped for some damage. The Saiyans not fighting admired the Humans' dedication. As the beams dissapated Pasha could be seen on one knee. She looked up at them and smiled.

"You guys are tougher than I thought, but you're still not tough enough." She pointed at each fighter and blasted them with small beams of energy.

The two friends fell to the ground, lifeless. Bardock laughed at the fallen Humans. As they two battle worn Saiyans walked back to their team, their scouters indicated an attack. They turned to see Krillin holding a spinning buzz saw of energy. He threw it at Bordos and collapsed.

"Too easy." Bordos said as he raised a hand to block it. The disk sliced through his outstretched arm and his torso. He was dead before he hit the ground.

"Bordos!" Bardock's anger got the best of him as he flew at Krillin. He then proceeded to punch the monk until all life faded from him.

"I got one." Krillin said as the fighters awoke from their journey.

"Alright Krillin." Yamcha said seconds before being punched by Tien. "What the hell was that for?" He asked as he got to his feet.

"We're supposed to be a team Yamcha. You attacked that woman after we had already agreed to fight the other one."

"What does it matter? I had a score to settle with her and we knew we weren't gonna win."

"That's not the point. We work together and we have a chance. You ignored the rest of us most of the fight. Besides, we beat one of them. If you had worked like part of a team, then we might have survived to see it."

"You're way too uptight Tien. I'm gone."

"Yamcha wait." Krillin said as he hurried after him. "We were gonna go again, remember?"

"So go again. Maybe your 'team' will do better without me."

He shrugged off Krillin's hand and left the room. The others looked at each other and frowned. If Yamcha was no longer training with them then it would be even harder to beat the Saiyans... And less likely that they would survive against Frieza. 


	21. A Lone Wolf

A Lone Wolf 

Master Roshi heard a knock at his front door. He sat down his beer and answered. Standing in front of him was Gohan.

"Why hello there, Gohan. What can I do for you?" He said as he searched for Chi-Chi.

"My daddy said you trained him."

"Yes, I trained him. Where's your mother?"

"At home."

"How did you get here?"

"Mr. Chioatzu taught me how to fly."

"Did he now? So are you here for some stories about your dad's training?"

"No. I want you to teach me how to fight."

"Eh? Teach you to fight? Does your mother know about this?"

"I left her a note. Please teach me, I need to be strong."

"I don't know... Chi-Chi would probably kill me if I did. Maybe we should just wait for her to get here."

"She doesn't know I'm here, just that I'm learning to fight."

"Alright, come in for a bit. Why don't you have a seat on the couch while I go finish what I was doing. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Gohan sat quietly on the couch as Roshi went into the other room. He picked up the phone and called Chi-Chi. Unfortunately for him, she didn't answer. He decided to at least keep the boy busy for a while until his mother figured out where he was. He walked back out into the living room and smiled at Gohan.

"Let's get started."

---------------------

"A mermaid?" King Kai laughed. "And... He didn't even... Notice?"

"Nope. You should have seen the look on his face when she told him she couldn't walk on the beach with him."

"Now that's a good one." King Kai composed himself. "Alright, you have earned the right to train under me."

"So you're King Kai? But I thought King Kai was a martial arts master."

"Don't I look like a master of martial arts?"

"Not really."

"Fine then, go train somewhere else."

"Oh no, I didn't mean... You look very much like a martial arts master."

"Good save." King Kai said sarcastically. "Let's begin your training. Your first task is to stand up straight."

"Okay, but can we eat soon. I'm starving."

"But you're dead. Dead people don't need to eat."

"I'm still hungry."

-----------------------

Orion patted down the last bit of dirt. He used his energy to write the Name "Lira" on the rock he was useing as a tombstone. Directly next to it was another rock that read: "Demas". He dusted his hands off and recited a prayer he had learned when he was a kid. As he turned to the ship he saw Vegeta standing on the ramp. The Saiyan prince looked around warily as if expecting an attack any second. Orion couldn't help wondering what his new ally had done to anger his former boss.

-----------------------

Mr. Popo had been alone since Kami's death. He had helped with the training of the Earth's heroes, but had not spent much time with them since they started. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever have someone to converse with again. There was no hope of Kami coming back to life, and the new Guardian might not want him around. The new Guardian might have his own advisor. If that happened, where would the current advisor go? He no longer had a home away from the Lookout.

As he walked outside the building, to look down upon the Earth, he noticed Yamcha. The former bandit was gathering energy in his right hand, but what struck the advisor as odd was that he was alone.

"Hello Yamcha. Where are the others?"

"Probably in the Room of Time."

"And why aren't you with them?"

Yamcha looked at his feet. "That's not important. What is important, is that I'm a lone wolf. I always have been. I don't know how I got tricked into thinking I needed friends. From now on I'm training on my own. They'll see, I don't need them."

"It sounds as if you need to do some soul searching. If you would like help with that, meet me in the Room of Time after the others are finished with it."

"Thanks for the offer Mr. Popo, but I'm gonna be on my own from now on."

With that he walked to the edge of the Lookout and flew back down to the planet below. 


	22. The New Guardian

The New Guardian 

Yamcha flew. He didn't have a destination and he didn't want one. He just needed to vent. Of course with no one to fight, his options were limited. He found himself wishing that Vegeta was back on Earth. Surely he had gotten strong enough to beat him by now. Without realizing it, he found himself hovering over Master Roshi's place.

"Why am I here?" He asked himself as he scanned the island.

He saw his former teacher sparring with somebody. Who could it be? Everyone was at the Lookout. Besides, Master Roshi didn't fight anymore. Curiosity got the better of him and he lowered for a closer look. He saw a small boy attacking the old man. The boy's tail fluttered behind him as he kicked. 'Wait. Tail?' Yamcha recalled only one person in the whole world having a tail. This boy must be Goku's son. He hadn't gotten a good look at the boy at the funeral. He had been in the front row while Yamcha was in the back. All he remembered was a red hat topped with a small round stone.

"So Master Roshi's teaching him how to fight huh? I should drop in and see how well he's doing." And he did just that. "Hey Master Roshi, you didn't tell me you were taking on a new pupil."

Roshi looked over at his new guest and was punched by Gohan. "Hey Yamcha." He said while rubbing his cheek. "Would you mind stepping in for a minute? He doesn't get tired."

"Sure, no problem." Yamcha stepped in front of the old man and started blocking punches. "So how come you didn't mention this before?"

"Actually, he just came to me a few hours ago. I thought I should test him and he's been going non-stop ever since. I don't know where he gets all his energy from. Goku was asking for meal breaks every half hour."

"He justs wants to get stronger. Don't you little man?"

"Yeah, well, I'm getting too old to spar for that long. Can you keep that up while I go inside and get us some drinks?"

"Sure."

After Roshi had gone inside, Gohan finally spoke. "He's calling my mom again."

"What?"

"He doesn't want to teach me. He thinks I don't know he's trying to get my mom to come get me."

"Master Roshi is a great teacher. He knows the importance of rest. You can't go all-out forever."

"He's calling my mom."

"So what? You don't need him to learn how to fight. I taught myself when I was younger. Even if you are at home, you can still train."

"Not with my mom. She doesn't want me to fight. She thinks I'll get hurt."

"Of course you'll get hurt. You don't get stronger if you don't. I'll tell you what, why don't I help you train. This way Master Roshi won't have to work so hard."

"Can you take me somewhere my mom won't find me? I don't want to go home yet."

While the two talked Master Roshi had indeed called Chi-Chi. This time someone answered.

"Hello?" The Ox-King answered.

"Ox? Is Chi-Chi there?"

"Yes, but she is not really able to talk right now. Is this Master Roshi?"

"Uh yes, it is. I have Gohan here with me. I wanted to let her know so she could come pick him up."

"Gohan's there?" Loud yelling could be heard in the backround. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, he's outside with Yam..." Master Roshi dropped the phone. Nobody was outside. He ran out and began frantically searching for his two guests.

"Outside with Yam? What's a Yam? Hello, Master Roshi?"

-----------------------

Kami smiled. "I am glad that you agree."

"Listen, I'm not doing this to be a hero."

"Of course not. Enma has agreed to give you the same treatment as a normal person when you next die."

"Good. Now when do I start."

"You already have. You will be taken to the Lookout and introduced to Mr. Popo. He was my advisor and will serve you well, should you wish it. I also have one more thing to say: The former Guardian is allowed to pass on one power to future Guardians. I have given you the ability to create the Dragonballs. You do not have to if you do not wish, but know that you will be requested to do so by some people."

"Well, let's go see my new place."

Several minutes later, the new Guardian of Earth appeared in front of a very startled Mr. Popo.

"Can I help you?"

"Are you Mr. Popo?"

"Why yes I am. And who are you?"

"The name's Likab. I'm the new Guardian."

"You are? I was not informed that one had been chosen yet."

"Not my fault. I here you're an advisor. Does that mean you deal with people when they come to speak to me?"

"I will be the first person anyone meets when they come here, but most will not come without an invitation unless you wish to change that rule."

"No, I like that rule. As for the Dragonballs, I'm not sure we need them right now."

"If that is your decision. I must inform you that there are fighters training with us."

"What for?"

"They have reason to believe that the tyrant Frieza is planning to come here. They are useing our facilities to become strong enough to defeat him. They mostly keep to themselves, but I expect they will want to meet you when they learn of your presence here."

"Whatever. How about you give me the tour."

"Of course sir. Right this way."

--------------------

A/N: I would like to take a moment to list the sagas as they are so far. Saiyan Saga: Chapters 1-11, Bandit Saga: Chapters 12-22. The Ginyu Saga starts with Chapter 23. Also I would like to mention that the name for Chapter 15 has changed.


	23. Arrival of the Ginyu Force

Arrival of the Ginyu Force 

A ship hovered in orbit above a small yellow planet. It was one of the few planets where it was safe. Inside the ship battle cries could be heard as Orion trained with Vegeta. The plan was to train here for a few months before moving on to another planet. They could not remain still for too long or Frieza might find them. Orion wanted to continue his search, but no longer felt comfortable landing on random planets. Sure he could take most threats, but it wasn't getting him anywhere. His search would wait until he had a lead.

It had been four months since their visit to Mordoron. Orion still had no idea why Vegeta was on the run, but he did not pry. The two of them did not speak much. They mostly trained, ate, and slept. Orion was in no hurry to do anything else, even if Vegeta seemed to be.

-----------------------

Five small pods crashed into the surface of Earth. Frieza was following a lead on Vegeta's wherabouts. The death of the final Saiyan was more urgent than the last Dragonball. So he had sent the Ginyu Force to Earth. They were his most trusted elites. Earth was where the last Dragonball should be. They would bring it back.

-----------------------

Yamcha was staring at the night sky. He glanced over at Gohan's sleeping form.

"You've come a long way kid. I hope that you get your wish someday."

Gohan turned over and began to snore. Yamcha chuckled to himself. Despite his attitude, and despite whatever he told himself, these last four months had made him realize how much he needed companionship. He hadn't seen Puar or Bulma since he started his training, and he missed them both. Puar had been his buddy since his bandit days. He had been there when Yamcha first met Bulma. Heck, he even encouraged him to go after her. That little shapeshifter was one of the few who understood him.

And Bulma... Well, Bulma was a control freak and she made him feel like dirt a lot of the time, but he could look past that. For some reason he really liked her. And to top it off, she was beautiful. He had to face it, it had been over five months since he last saw her and he really missed waking up to her face in the morning.

He was staring at the stars again, thinking of his loved ones, when he felt a powerful energy. It was stronger than anyone he knew, stronger than Vegeta had been. And it didn't feel friendly. He knew he had to go there, it was probably the one he had been training to beat. He looked over at Gohan again.

"Stay here little man. I'll be back for you in the morning."

------------------------

Tien sat up quickly as he felt the energy. He looked over at Krillin and Chioatzu. Neither had noticed. He woke them and told them what he felt. They searched for the energy he described and confirmed that some powerful people were there.

"Do you think it's Frieza?" Krillin asked fearfully.

"I don't know." Tien answered "But whoever it is, they're a lot stronger than anyone we've faced before."

"We don't have a choice," Chioatzu said sternly. "we have to see what they want."

"Right." Krillin said as he rose to his feet. "And if they're here for evil, then we have to take them down."

------------------------

Captain Ginyu looked at each of his troops. "You know what we are here for men. Split up. If you find the Dragonball then call in so everyone else can meet up with you. Oh, and Guldo,"

"Yes sir?" A squat green man with four eyes answered.

"If you run into trouble, please let us know."

"Understood. I will call if I need assistance."

-------------------------

Tien noticed the energies seperating and called to his friends. "They're splitting up. Which one should we follow?"

"How about the weakest one?" Krillin suggested. "I think we can take him if we need to."

"Good idea Krillin. If they are with Frieza, then we can pick them off one by one."

--------------------------

Yamcha smiled as he felt the one energy seperate into five. "That makes things easier." He muttered as he headed for the closest one.

--------------------------

Likab and Mr. Popo stared down at the world below. Likab looked at his advisor.

"I can tell these newcomers are stronger than the ones who were training here. I can also tell that they are here for evil intent."

"I feel it too." Mr. Popo agreed.

"I think we should take some precautions. After all you have told me of this 'Goku', I think he might be able to help us now. I'm going to create the Dragonballs. Please warn me if those people find their way here."

'Wait!' A voice called out in his head.

'What? Who contacts me?'

'I am King Kai. I am training Goku. He has not completed his training yet, and I do not think he is ready to fight these beings.'

'But our defenders can not hope to win either.'

'I understand that. I warn you however, do not ressurect Goku yet. I will contact you when he is ready.'

'If you do not think he can help, then I will leave him where he is. But if you have any ideas, please share.'

'I am afraid all I can share is hope at this time. I am sorry.'

Likab turned to Mr. Popo. "I have been contacted by Otherworld. Goku is not strong enough to help us. I will not create the Dragonballs yet."

"That is your decision." 


	24. I Can Stop Time

I Can Stop Time 

Jeice had a lot of women who wanted him and he was strong. Not many could boast all of that truthfully. Of course he was stuck working for Frieza when he'd rather be hanging out with the chicks. But he couldn't complain. It was usually fun work, and it had good benefits. One of them was the pleasure of beating up weaklings who tried to get in his way.

It seemed as if he had just found one such person. A power level of 5,400 was heading his way. He smiled as he thought of the confidence the man must have. He would wake him up from his dream.

Yamcha saw the alien. The man had stopped and was apparently waiting for him. That was fine with him. At least he wouldn't have to chase him around. He wasn't sure if he could win, because his opponent was much stronger than him, but he had to try. He stopped in front of the man.

"Hello there." The man said pleasently.

Yamcha took in the armor that was so much like Vegeta's. "Hey. Can I help you with something?"

Jeice raised an eyebrow. Maybe he wasn't here to fight. Maybe he was just the welcoming commitee. "I hope you can. You see, I'm looking for something called a Dragonball. Have you heard of it?"

"I could be a prick and say 'no', but I'd be lying. I knew that's what you were here for. The problem is, someone already took it."

"I haven't heard about anyone finding it yet."

"Oh no, not tonight. About five months ago a guy named Vegeta took it. Maybe you've heard of him."

"Vegeta? Then he has the Dragonball? But how did he know it was here?"

"He heard us talking about it."

Jeice pushed a button on his scouter. "Cap'n, I got a guy here who says Vegeta was here and he took the Dragonball."

"That sounds like something a traitor would do. Unfortunately we can't just believe the first person we meet, now can we? Rough him up a little. Make sure he's not lying. I'll inform Lord Frieza so that he knows to look for it when he finds Vegeta."

"Right." He smiled at Yamcha. "Cap'n says to rough you up a bit."

"I was afraid of that."

----------------------

"It seems that Yamcha has found one of our new friends." Tien said grimly.

"I sure hope he survives long enough for us to help him." Krillin said nervously.

"You two should go help him. I know I can handle this guy."

"Are you sure Tien?" Chioatzu asked.

"Yeah, go."

"You're the boss." Krillin told him as he and Chioatzu took off toward Yamcha's energy.

A few seconds later Tien arrived in front of Guldo. He looked the little man over and spoke.

"What do you want here?"

"The Dragonball."

"What's a Dragonball?"

"You don't know? That guy your friends just headed toward sure does."

'Damnit Yamcha, why did you say anything?' Tien thought as he floated closer to his foe. Out loud he said: "So I lied. The truth is that it's not here."

"Oh really? Then where is it?"

"Someone took it, I didn't get his name."

"You didn't? Are you sure it wasn't a certain Saiyan by the name of Vegeta?"

Tien made a mental note to kill Yamcha if they survived. "Listen, how do you know what that guy said?"

"My scouter," He pointed at it. "also acts as a communicator. My entire team is in constant communication with each other."

"Oh, well that's cool. You know, there's a problem with that though."

"Oh, and what's that?"

Tien fired a Dodonpa at the scouter and it exploded. "You told me about it. Now you can't call for help."

"You broke my scouter! I'll make you pay for that!" Guldo screamed as he shot blue energy beams out of his two side eyes.

Tien dodged them and fired another Dodonpa. Guldo disappeared before the beam hit. Tien stared at the empty spot. Where had he gone. No one was that fast. Twin beams hit him in the back, causing him to lurch forward. He turned, but by the time he was facing the right direction Guldo was gone again.

"Where does he keep going?" Tien fumed as he searched the sky.

Another set of beams lanced out at him, but he dodged them a second before they would have hit. He turned to the source in time to see him disappear again. No, not disappear. He found that his third eye had seen where he had gone. A faint streak of green led to the left. He turned to see two more beams being fired. He dodged and fired another Dodonpa. Exactly as he had anticipated, the little green man vanished again.

This time Tien concentrated on the trail. His third eye revealed that his foe was above him. He shot straight up and grabbed Guldo's armor.

"Gotcha."

"What, how did you catch me?"

"You may be fast, but I can still see you."

"I may not know how you can follow me, but you're wrong. I'm not any faster than you. I can stop time."

"What?"

"I'll be long gone and with my team before you can blink."

The green fighter took a deep breath and was gone. Tien concentrated and saw the trail. He followed as fast as he could. He was surprised to find his opponent leaning against a rock, gasping for air. He dropped to the ground.

"Boo." He said quietly.

Guldo jumped into the air and vanished. Tien turned around to see him collapsed on the ground. He calmly walked over to him and pointed a finger at his heart. Guldo looked up at him as energy gathered at his fingertip.

"You wouldn't kill me, would you?"

"I was trained by an asassin... And you attacked me first."

The yellow beam pierced the small man's heart. Tien turned to search for his friends. He felt them. Yamcha felt damaged, but it seemed as if their opponent was toying with them. That was good. It meant he wasn't too late. 


	25. Teamwork

Teamwork 

Yamcha held his stomach. His enemy was much too strong to keep up this pace. He smiled weakly as he felt the others turn in his direction. Even with their help he had little chance of surviving.

"They were right..." He laughed.

"What's that?" Jeice asked as he floated closer.

"I should have listened. If I had learned to work as a team, maybe I wouldn't be in this mess."

"So you disobeyed orders to come here? Is that why that other power is coming now?"

"Not one... Two. Your eye piece is bugged. And they are probably coming to make sure I don't die."

"How do you know how many there are?"

"That's a secret. I should tell you that I was lying. Yeah, I met Vegeta... And sure he wanted the Dragonball, but he doesn't have it." Jeice's eyebrows raised. "We sent someone with him. And he made sure that Vegeta launched it into space. If Vegeta's even still alive, he won't have the Dragonball anymore."

"Did you get that Cap'n?"

"Yes." Ginyu's voice crackled back. "You can kill him now?"

Yamcha saw the look on the other man's face. "I'm not going to like his answer am I?"

"Probably not." Jeice continued his evil smile. "If your friends give me a different story, we'll kill every one on the planet. Of course, you'll be dead by then."

--------------------------

Vegeta's battered body lay at Gohan's feet. The boy smiled.

"I'm proud of you son. Not only have you learned to fight like I wanted, but you've avenged my death." Goku stepped out from behind a tree as he spoke.

"Daddy? But how..."

"It doesn't matter. Just know that I'm proud of you."

Goku began to fade from view. Gohan ran to him and hit the tree. His eyes teared up as he woke from his dream. He had to keep training. He didn't care that it was the middle of the night, he was gonna train right away. Except that he couldn't find Yamcha.

He focused his thoughts as he had been taught and eventually found Yamcha's energy. But something was wrong, it felt really weak. He concentrated harder and found that he could feel another energy as well. It was much stronger than Yamcha, and it was not familiar. As he concentrated on the two, he felt two more approach. They were two of the ones Yamcha had told him were his friends. They would help him.

Gohan relaxed for a few seconds, then thought of something. "What if it's Vegeta!" He said to himself. "He could have come back to finish us off. If it is him, then I have to help stop him. Daddy would want me too."

The small boy lifted into the air and flew toward the fight. As he flew, he could feel Yamcha growing weaker, even his friends were taking damage. He had to get there. He was not nearly as strong as his teacher, but he was help. And right now, help would be greatly appreciated. After several minutes, which seemed like days to the boy, he could see what he was looking for. A red man with white hair was attacking three others. Gohan immediately recognized them all.

He had no idea who they were fighting, but they needed help. The man was wearing armor that looked like Vegeta's. Maybe he was with him. Gohan's heart skipped a beat as he realized that he was going to be in an actual fight. No more training, no more sparring, no more waiting. It was time to sink or swim. If he couldn't kill this guy, then he would never beat Vegeta. He stopped just short of hearing range and crossed both hands over his head.

It was a reletively new technique. He had come up with it a few days earlier. Yamcha had taught him the Kamehameha Wave and had been explaining how it had been created by Master Roshi.

"Everyone," He had gone on to say. "should have a signiture move. Mine is the Wolf Fang Fist, which you've seen. What you haven't seen is my new technique. I realized that my signiture move was getting a bit outdated. Especially after my training at Kami's lookout. Battling a flying foe makes it harder to attack in that manner. So I continued to hone my energy training. I'm not as good with energy attacks as your dad was, but I managed to come up with a great technique."

He then showed off his Spirit Ball. He explained how a signiture move needs a cool name to go along with it. Of course that was something Gohan didn't agree with. If it works, who cares what it's called? He thought of that as he charged energy into his hands. His attack had no name yet, but he was about to find out if it worked as intended. He felt the energy pulse in his hands and knew it was ready.

Jeice punched Krillin in the face and saw the numbers on his scouter flash. He turned his head in time to see a large yellow beam fly right at him. He let it hit him and laughed.

"Another one to the party?" He called as he flew at Gohan.

Yamcha was face down in the dirt. As he heard the call, he lifted his head slowly. He gasped when he saw Gohan. He wasn't ready to fight someone of this power. None of them were, to be accurate, but this was different. This was his pupil. This was a little boy who had no business defending the planet. He had to get him away before he was killed. The former bandit lifted himself up and began gathering energy for his Spirit Ball.

--------------------------

Goku sparred against a non-existant opponent. As he did, King Kai watched the fight on Earth in his mind. He saw that they had no hope of defeating the remaining men. He was sure that they would die. Unfortunately, Goku was not ready to fight them either. Even with the Kaioken technique he had learned, Goku still was not as strong as these foes. King Kai would not allow him to die for nothing. 'At least he will be able to see his friends again.' The master thought to himself as he watched.

---------------------------

Smoke billowed in the sky. Yamcha smiled as he watched the aftermath of his attack. He had learned a while ago how to make it stronger without adding size. Even as a small ball of energy, it could take out someone of his own strength. Hopefully he had wounded his opponent. Gohan was out cold near him. He had not been fast enough to save him from the attack, but at least he wasn't dead yet. Krillin and Chiaotzu floated silently in front of the cloud. Chiaotzu held his left arm as it hung loosely.

Jeice peered through the smoke. That last attack had actually hurt. The fact that his scouter hadn't warned him of it was a problem. The kid had damaged it. Of course it didn't matter now, as the last attack had destroyed it completely. He looked down at his armor. One of the shoulder pads was broken and the stomach area was cracked, but it would still protect him. 'That's what I get for toying with them.' He thought as he contemplated his next move.

The smoke was plentiful and that gave him good cover, but it gave them cover as well. Without his scouter he couldn't see where they were. He also couldn't know when they were attacking. He had to fight smart now. He made up his mind to kill the one who had damaged him first. He flew out of the smoke and ran into Krillin. He pulled his fist back and punched the monk in the stomach.

Krillin fell to the ground as Jeice searched for Yamcha. He found his target and dropped to the ground. Krillin rose shakily as Jeice landed a few feet away. The white haired alien began punching his victim mercilessly. Krillin flashed back to his training against the Saiyans. He usually died, but he had found a way to win against one opponent when the situation looked hopeless. The fact that this man seemed dependant on his scouter, which he no longer had, made his strategy a lot easier.

Krillin pulled his hand back, palm up. He began focusing all of his energy into it. Chiaotzu saw his friend's attempt and knew what he had to do. He dropped down and began attacking Jeice. Jeice now pounded on two people. Unfortunately for him, he had no idea what was going on behind him. The energy was flat now, spinning faster and faster. Krillin said nothing as he threw it at his enemy.

Chiaotzu grabbed Yamcha and pulled him to the ground. Jeice pulled back his fist... and fell on top of them. Yamcha pushed the alien off of him and was disgusted to find the head a couple feet away. He tried to wipe off the alien blood, but gave up as he felt Tien's energy above him.

"I was afraid I was too late." The three eyed warrior said as he lifted Chiaotzu from the ground. "I'm glad I was wrong."

"There are more." Krillin reminded him as he fell to a sitting position.

"I know. They'll probably be here any minute. But for now, let's rest. I'll keep an eye out for them, you guys just sit."

"Too bad you didn't bring any of those magic beans with you." Yamcha laughed.

"The Senzu Beans?" Krillin asked. "I didn't even think to ask Korin for any."

"He was probably sleeping anyway. We'll get some later if we survive." Tien muttered.

"If..." Yamcha said as he looked at Gohan. "You know guys, I was a real jerk."

"What are you talking about Yamcha?" Tien asked as he noticed Gohan.

"I mean when I left. I was too stubborn to see that you were right. I put all of us behind in our training... And I put Gohan at risk by teaching him how to fight. He'll die here with us because of me."

"Not neccesarily. Listen, if Chiaotzu supresses his power, he can take Gohan and get us some Senzu Beans."

"No Tien, I'm gonna fight." Chiaotzu protested.

"Listen Chiaotzu, you're injured. You can't fight as well as you should be able to. If you can get Senzu Beans for us, then you will be back to normal fighting strength. And so will the rest of us if you hurry."

"But..."

"No But. I need you to do this for me. Please save Gohan and get us some help."

"Okay. Please stay alive until I get back."

"We'll try our best." 


	26. Three Left

Three Left 

Chiaotzu felt as if his chest was on fire. In order to keep his energy completely unnoticeable he could not fly. Running was something the little emporer was not used to. To add to the difficulty, he was carrying someone almost as big as himself and only able to use one arm. As he neared the base of Korin's tower, he realized a slight problem with the plan.

"I'm supposed to climb up there with a broken arm and Gohan? Well, there are people living here... Maybe no one will notice if I supress most of my power so I can fly."

With no other choice, he floated slowly to the top.

--------------------------

"Burter, Recoome?" Ginyu was furious.

"Yes sir?" Both men answered at once.

"Regroup with me, NOW!"

"Yes sir!"

Ginyu's aura whipped violently around him. Two of his elite fighters had been killed by weaklings. Obviously they knew some special technique that could kill someone regardless of strength. He would not allow any of their attacks to hit him. Suddenly his two remaining troops were in front of him. He was so angry that he hadn't noticed them arrive. He looked at each one and began instructing them.

"From now on, no one goes anywhere alone. We can not risk them catching us off guard again. Both of you know what happened to Jeice and Guldo. There was no surge of power strong enough to kill Jeice, which means that they have some sort of technique that can kill anyone." He clenched his fists. "If I see any attack hit either of you, you're out of the group. You will dodge or shoot your own attack to intercept. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good. Now let's go kill these weaklings."

--------------------------

Tien turned his head and frowned. "They're coming, and it looks like they're coming in a group."

"Great." Yamcha said as he stood up.

"Listen, I know their weakness. They rely on the devices they wear over their eye."

"Yeah, I noticed." Krillin laughed as he too stood shakily.

"Take out the devices and they won't see our attacks coming. We might still win if Krillin can get off another one of those disks."

"I'll try. But first we need to get rid of the devices. We should all focus on that first."

"Listen guys..." Yamcha said somberly. "If it comes down to someone taking one for the team, I'm your man."

"Yamcha," Tien explained. "you have loved ones to go home to. Your life is just as important as ours."

"But I've made mistakes that I have to atone for."

"That doesn't mean you have to kill yourself. I've spent years atoning for my past. Just promise me you won't sacrifice yourself unless it will take one of them with you."

"Yeah, sure."

"I mean it Yamcha."

"Enough guys." Krillin interrupted. "They're here."

The three friends looked at their new opponents. Two didn't feel much stronger than the one who just died. They could probably stand up to their attacks. But one felt twice as strong at least. He was the one to watch out for. Captain Ginyu chuckled as he saw the worried looks on the Humans' faces.

"Remember what I told you." The purple man said as he flew toward Krillin.

"Yeah, remember the plan." Tien said as he made to intercept Ginyu.

----------------------------

"Korin!" Chiaotzu yelled as he lay Gohan's body down.

A yawn came from a few feet away. "Do you know what time it is?" Yajirobe asked angrily.

"It's an emergency. I need Senzu Beans."

"What for?"

"These really strong guys are here and we're fighting them. My arm is broken and the others are hurt too."

"I'm sorry." Korin said as he stepped into the moonlight. The beans have not sprouted yet. They only sprout once every fifty years, and they have about five years left to grow. I have three left from the last harvest if they will help."

"If that's all you have, then I will give them to the others."

"You might want to take a half of one to repair your broken arm. I'm sure someone will be able to take half and still be able to fight for a while."

"Really? Then I will try it." Korin handed Chiaotzu a bag. The small man pulled out one of the beans and broke it in half. He ate one half and his arm healed itself. "I'm not completely healed, but my arm feels fine."

"See. Give the other half to the one who needs the least healing. I hope it will be enough."

"Me too. Please watch over Gohan until the fight is over. I don't want him to get hurt again."

"Of course."

"You watch him." Yajirobe told the Korin. "I'm not a babysitter. I'm going back to bed."

-------------------------

Burter blocked a punch from Yamcha and watched the numbers on his scouter flash. "Heads up Captain, there's another one coming."

Tien took a hit to the gut from Recoome. 'Why haven't you taken a Senzu Bean yet? You'll need all of your strength for this fight.' Tien thought as he was hit again. Recoome was without his scouter now, but the other two still had theirs. Krillin had managed to crack Ginyu's armor, as well as tick him off. All in all, they were not doing well. If Chiaotzu was returning without Senzu Beans, then they had little chance of winning. Tien grit his teeth and attacked.

---------------------------

Unnoticed by anyone, a large round ship descended toward the planet. Three doors opened on the underside of it and the landing legs began to extend. Two fully extended but the third remained inside. The ship landed roughly and rolled on its side. The occupant cursed and opened the hatch. It extended sideways and the man flew out. He manually forced the third leg out and lifted the ship into a normal position.

He looked east as he felt the powers fighting. He felt the energies of several people fading. He sighed, dusted off his red pants, smoothed out his black shirt, and lifted into the air. Hopefully it was just some people training, but he had to investigate. Too many times had he been forced off of a prospective home because of fighting. Demas was not in the mood to start looking for a new planet again.

--------------------------------------------------------

A/N: The last section was the first appearance of an original character who has his own story. His story is called Destined for Greatness, and it helps make sense of some stuff that revolves around him in Bardock's Legacy. Since no one seems to read Destined, I hope that doesn't mean you will stop reading this one just because the original characters have begun arriving. There are 3 in the story now, 2 more by the end of the android saga, and at least 3 more by the GT timeline. That makes 8 permanent OC's by the story's end. If that is a problem for you, just stop reading now.


	27. Welcome to Hell

Welcome to Hell 

Krillin's foot connected with Ginyu's scouter. The Captain of the Ginyu Force cursed as the device shattered. Only one of them still had their scouter. Obviously the Humans had planned from the beginning to make them blind to energy readings. Ginyu was glad that Burter was one of the fastest beings in Frieza's army. He would not allow anyone to touch him, let alone his scouter.

Krillin smiled as he was thrown to the ground. He had done what he had wanted. Now all he had to do was cut someone in half when Tien got rid of the other scouter. He had an idea suddenly. If he could make the alien think that his scouter was broken, then maybe it wouldn't matter if he was wearing it. Krillin stood and taunted his foe. At the same time he began to supress and reveal his energy repeatedly.

Burter frowned as his scouter beeped with Krillin's crazy readings. It wouldn't be good if the thing broke. Yamcha and Tien felt Krillin's energy changing as well. 'What are you doing?' Tien asked him telepathically.

'Trying to make him think that thing is broken.'

'Ah, I see.' Then he turned his thoughts to Yamcha. 'Do what Krillin is doing. He thinks it will make my guy think his device is broken.'

Yamcha showed no sign of recognition, but within seconds all three power levels were going haywire. Burter pushed a button and screamed in frustration. He took off the scouter and threw it to the ground.

"What are you doing?!" Ginyu demanded as it fell.

"Damn thing's broken."

Ginyu was really mad now. The Humans had accomplished their goal. And if the scouter wasn't broken before, it was now. Tien took a direct punch to the face as his Dodonpa pierced the machine. The three eyed warrior flew into the dirt with the force of a small meteor. As he climbed out of the hole he had made, he noticed another energy heading toward them. It was almost as strong as the guy who had just hit him. It looked like they weren't going to win after all.

----------------------------

Chiaotzu felt the newcomer's energy and pushed all of his energy into flying faster. His friends' energy kept getting weaker and it wouldn't be long before they couldn't fight anymore. He had to heal them before this new fighter showed up. Soon he could see them in the distance. The other fighter was only seconds away; he had to hurry.

The small man pulled out a Senzu Bean and threw it at Krillin. The monk caught it and smiled.

"Why are you smiling?" Ginyu demanded.

Krillin said nothing as he ate the bean. Ginyu noticed no change in his opponent so he charged. Krillin silently thanked Chiaotzu for the help and continued his fight. Chiaotzu threw another bean to Yamcha and flew to Tien. He Kicked Burter in the back of the head and tossed the bag to Tien.

"It's all that's left." He said as Tien looked questioningly at the broken bean.

"It's enough." Tien popped the bean into his mouth and turned to meet the oncoming Burter.

Demas arrived on the scene in time to feel the rise in powers. It didn't look like a sparring match, but most of the fighters seemed to be at full strength. Of course, he reasoned, a sparring match would normally pit fighters of similar strength against each other. The strongest ones were fighting the weakest ones. He watched for a few seconds and spotted Chiaotzu flying toward Krillin.

He intercepted the little fighter and smiled. "What's going on here?"

Chiaotzu backed up slowly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said. I land on the planet and find a fight. What's going on?"

"You're not with them?"

"Who?"

"The men who are trying to kill us."

"Kill you? And I'll wager they would be the ones who are ten times your strength."

"Yeah."

"Well, I can't let them kill you, can I? Which one should I fight first?"

"You want to help us?"

"What can I say; I'm a nice guy."

"You feel like you could beat one of the weaker ones by yourself. Maybe you should go help Tien. He's the one with three eyes."

"You're the boss." Demas flew at Burter and punched him in the gut. He smiled at Tien. "I'm here to help. Go help out your friends."

Tien nodded wordlessly and flew at Ginyu. Demas watched him and laughed. Apparently they didn't want to help the guy with long hair. 'Maybe they're like a bald guy club or something.' He thought as he began his fight with Burter.

Ginyu was aggrivated. Not only had someone else shown up to help these pests, but his chosen victim was being protected. He was too busy beating up the other two to even pay attention to Krillin. Of course, that's exactly what the humans wanted. Krillin was charging energy into his outstretched palm. He was thankful for the renewed energy as it flattened out into a disk.

He waited until the right moment and threw it at Ginyu. Ginyu shifted slightly and was hit in the arm. Most of his left arm was severed and his armor was nearly cut right off. Unfortunately for the humans, he was not dead. He looked in the direction of the attack and he realized exactly how Jeice had been beaten. Now he didn't care about the other two. He was going to kill the threat first.

Demas felt Ginyu's energy rise after the attack. It was time to finish this fight before these guys got what they wanted. He grabbed Burter's legs and threw the blue alien at Recoome. Burter hit his teammate and the two crashed into the ground. Demas created a large red orb in his hands.

"Hey," He yelled to Yamcha. "go help the others. I've got these two."

Yamcha couldn't believe his ears. How could someone be strong enough to beat both of them? He did as instructed and flew toward the others. Demas smiled as he threw the large red orb at the two rising fighters. As it neared the ground it split into several hundred smaller orbs. The orbs sunk into the earth as the fighters finished standing.

Burter laughed. "You have us? That attack didn't even do anything."

Demas smiled. "Not yet..."

Recoome laughed as well and took a step forward. Without warning the ground exploded. For several yards the earth was being torn apart by the attack. When the fire subsided, the two fighters looked ready to pass out. Burter composed himself and flew at Demas.

Demas dodged the first punch and laughed. "Welcome to Hell." He brought his hands down in an axe-handle smash.

Burter crashed into the ground and stood slowly. Recoome spread his legs and threw his arms back. His mouth opened wide and a large purple beam fired at his opponent. Demas threw both hands out in front of himself and caught the beam. Burter raised his left hand and began charging energy into it. Recoome pushed everything he had into the attack as his opponent tried to stop it.

Burter finished charging his energy and threw the dark blue ball at Demas. Demas saw the oncoming attack and knew that he could not stop it in his current state. He had only one choice. He surged his energy to the surface. His eyes began to shift, his muscles tightened and grew, and his hair lifted from the energy. He moved his left hand before the transformation was even complete.

Everyone watched him now. Even Ginyu had felt the vibrations in the air. The Wildfire was holding back both attacks now. He threw the ball at Recoome. Recoome's eyes went wide as it hit him and he was nearly killed. Demas pulled his hands to each side, charged energy into them, and threw them forward. The two small orbs merged into one and soon became a thick orange beam.

"Feel the effects of my Raging Blast!"

The beam hit it's targets with the force of a train. Demas poured energy into the attack for several seconds and stopped. In his transformed state, he could not only feel his opponent's energy, but see it as well. There was no energy left in the bodies of his victims. He turned to Ginyu and spoke.

"You are no match for me now. Leave this planet and do not return."

"I am twice as strong as those two."

"And I beat both of them, at the same time, with little effort. I will not ask again."

Ginyu looked around at the fighters. "Where is the Dragonball?"

Demas began floating forward, but Tien stopped him. "We told your buddies that it isn't here. There is nothing else for us to say."

"I will leave, but know that Lord Frieza will destroy this pathetic planet."

The purple fighter flew off toward his ship. Demas reverted to his normal form and turned to the others.

"Is this planet always this exciting?" 


	28. A Peaceful Moment

A Peaceful Moment 

"You guys look like you could use a cup of tea." Demas said as Earth's heroes collapsed on the ground.

"Tea?" Yamcha asked. "Maybe you didn't notice, but we almost died. Not the best time for tea."

"Sure it is. It's special tea that promotes healing."

"Really?" Krillin sat up.

"Yeah. We have a plant on my home planet which contains special nutrients that promote healing. It makes pretty good tea."

"On your home planet, huh? So how does that help us."

"I just happen to have some on my ship. Follow me."

The Wildfire lifted into the air and began flying toward his ship. The others followed slowly.

----------------------

Vegeta woke to the sound of beeping. He sat up, stretched, and headed to the bridge. What he saw when he got there nearly gave him a heart attack. Frieza's ship stared at him through the viewscreen.

"Run."

Orion turned to look at the Saiyan. "Why?"

"Because..." Vegeta could barely keep his voice steady. "Frieza is staring at us."

"Oh... Damn."

-----------------------

Frieza smiled inwardly as he watched the other ship in orbit. He had only been in the system for a few hours, but already his spirits were up. He had been told that an unidentified ship was going from planet to planet, staying only for a short time. Lucky for Frieza, he had eyes even on planets that weren't under his control. His scouter crackled with an incoming message.

"Lord Frieza..." A voice said nervously.

"What is it?"

"The Ginyu Force's scouters... They've all gone off line."

"How... Unfortunate. They may yet be alive. I want word immediately if they report in."

"Yes sir."

As the communication ceased, Frieza smiled. "I'm going to catch a monkey." The tyrant laughed as he watched the ship fly from view.

-----------------------

"We're headed into Cooler's territory!" Vegeta yelled at his ally.

"I know that."

"Why?!"

"Because Frieza has no jurisdiction here. It'll give us time to think."

"Aren't you worried about Cooler?"

"Should I be. We've done nothing to him."

"He's Frieza's brother!"

"So? I happen to know, brothers aren't always friends."

"You're putting us in more danger hoping that we don't die? You are an idiot."

"And you're giving me a headache with all that yelling. Now calm down and try to figure out where we can go."

Silence filled the ship for several minutes. Vegeta finally spoke up. "I have a question."

"What now?"

"Is the Wildfire Army capable of destroying a ship that is still in space?"

"I'm not starting another war."

"Listen to me. You speak of how strong your people are, you tell me that they would beat Frieza's men in battle. If there is a chance that they could stop Frieza before he landed, then no one would die."

"Except Frieza."

"No, Frieza can live without air. He could survive for weeks in space if he had to. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that we would be safe again."

"For how long? He obviously knows what our ship looks like. There is nowhere we could go to escape him once someone finds him."

"There is one place that I know he does not have eyes. If he escapes our trap, or if he is rescued by his men... We will go there."

"Fine. Just know that it'll be a bumpy ride. I'm a wanted man, remember."

------------------------

Dark blue water flowed for miles in every direction. The pale green sky slowly gave way to the darkness of night. Three beings sat on a solitary island on an unknown planet.

"This is a nice change of pace." A man said quietly.

"Well don't get used to it." A woman replied. "We are traveling with a piece of the universe's greatest weapon."

"I'm right here you know." The third being said indignantly.

The woman just giggled and lay her head in his lap. He shook his head and looked at his other companion. Eckum was glad for the break in fighting, but he couldn't help but think of how much destruction he had caused. How different would the lives of his companions be had he not existed. He may only be half of the weapon, but already he had caused the deaths of thousands. Was he really destined to destroy his people?

He shook his head again and pushed the thoughts from his mind. Tonight was a time for rest. Besides, it's hard to think of battle when you're carressing the cheek of a beautiful woman. 


	29. One More Technique

One More Technique 

Gohan's Eyes opened slowly. His vision was blurry, but he could hear someone to his right.

"I hope he's okay."

Then a second, louder voice. "Yeah, I met his mom once. If he dies, we're all in trouble."

The half Saiyan boy sat up slowly. A cry of pain escaped his lips as his back stiffened.

"Whoa there." The first voice neared. "Don't push yourself."

"Wha happened?" He mumbled as his vision began to clear.

"You were banged up pretty bad."

Everything came back in a flash. "Yamcha!"

"Don't worry about him. I sent some help."

"Help?"

"Senzu Beans. I gave Chiaotzu my last ones to heal everyone."

Gohan started to say something, but stopped when a wave of pain swept through his body. He fell backward with a thump and looked at the one he was talking to. He laughed as he saw Korin's worried face.

"I'm dreaming about talking cats..." He mumbled before passing out.

Korin looked at Yajirobe. The Samurai shrugged. "Don't ask me... I don't usually get that beat up."

"I wonder why..."

-----------------------

The sunrise bathed the spaceship in a serene glow as the fighters emerged. Yamcha, holding a thermos in his right hand, lifted into the air as soon as possible.

"Yamcha." Tien stopped him.

"Kinda in a hurry man."

"I think it would be better if Gohan went home."

"You don't think I know that? He won't stop training until he beats Vegeta."

"So tell him Vegeta's dead."

"What?"

"Tell him that Vegeta showed up just after he passed out. He has no way of knowing who was here last night. Remember, Vegeta isn't coming back."

"Yeah... Maybe." With a sigh, the former bandit flew to Korin's tower.

Demas stepped out as Yamcha faded from view. "So what now?"

"Well, you let that guy go. Frieza is sure to get word of what happened here." Tien answered. "If we're lucky, he'll get scared and stay away."

"When are we ever that lucky?" Krillin laughed.

"I know. We'll have to keep training." Tien watched the sunrise. "I know it's a lot to ask from someone we just met, but..."

"You want my help?" Demas cut him off.

"Yeah. You're much stronger than us, and you could make us ready for Frieza."

"I'm not planning on going anywhere, but I won't fight for you next time if I can avoid it. If I can get you to my level, then you should be able to defend your planet on your own."

"I understand. You shouldn't be expected to fight for our home. All we ask is that you help us prepare."

"I'll be here. Come find me when you're ready to start."

"Right." With a nod at their newest ally, the three remaining Z Fighters lifted into the sky.

-----------------------

"Well Goku, you are near the completion of your training." King Kai said proudly.

"Really?" Goku asked his new master. "That was kinda fast."

"Only to you. Nearly six months have passed on Earth since you began your training." Goku's head dropped at the mention of his home. King Kai clapped his hands. "Don't look so down. The new Guardian of Earth is planning to create a new set of Dragonballs to bring you back to life."

"Are you serious? I'm gonna go back home?"

"Yes. But first you have to complete your training. I have on final technique to teach you." The martial arts master smiled proudly. "I call it... The Spirit Bomb."

------------------------

Raditz had been wandering for days. King Vegeta had no information on Komaj's whereabouts. The trainer was mysteriously absent. He could have lost his body once in Hell, he could be alone somewhere, he could even be in Heaven. It was unlikely, but Raditz had to accept the possibility. He had decided to look for his former teacher several days ago. His father told him to take his time. It wasn't like they were going anywhere. So he left the group of Saiyans. Now he was starting to wish he hadn't.

He was sitting at the edge of a pond of blood when it happened. Four members of the Ginyu Force fell in the liquid. As the fighters started to rise, a voice called out to Raditz.

"Hey, please don't throw garbage in the Bloody Pond." A light blue Oni jogged up to him. "Oh, it's just new arrivals."

Raditz looked curiously at the demon. He wore white shorts and a white shirt emblazoned with the letters HFIL. "Who are you?" He asked.

"Don't worry about it. I just work here."

"What does that stand for?"

"The shirt? It stands for 'Home For Infinite Losers'. A friend of mine came up with it. Funny, huh?"

"Not really."

"Hey, I know you." A voice called from behind Raditz. The Saiyan turned to see Jeice walking up to him. "You're that Saiyan... Rat-something."

"Raditz."

"Whatever. You're gonna show us around."

"And what makes you think that?"

"I outrank all Saiyans."

"Maybe... But I outpower you."

"Hah! No Saiyan could be stronger than me."

Faster than anyone present could see, Raditz raised his hand and blasted Jeice to dust. "Wanna bet?" The other three Ginyu Force members ran for their lives. Raditz shook his head and turned back to the Oni. "Perhaps you can help me find someone..." 


	30. Space Battle

Space Battle 

Alarms sounded throughout the ship as it was rammed by several smaller ships. Orion's fingers raced across the controls in an effort to keep his temporary home in one piece.

"Don't just stand there, do something!" He yelled at Vegeta.

"What do you want me to do?!" The Saiyan's eyes were glued to the view screen.

"Do you see that chair over there? Sit in it and push the button."

Vegeta did as instructed and was surprised to see a pointed pole emerge from the front of the ship. "What the..."

"It's a basic weapon for defense. All ships made on Wildfire have something... Even these crappy flying houses."

"What does it do?"

"It pokes holes in the other guy."

As if on cue, the pole impaled one of the smaller ships. Orion, having learned several forms of space combat, turned sharply and let his new hood ornament propell him farther than the ship would normally turn. Vegeta watched in amazement as the Wildfire managed to escape his attackers with near impossible flying.

After several minutes most of the alarms quieted. Now only the proximity alarm remained, which Orion manually turned off. Vegeta laughed when Orion split the view screen to show behind them as well. Frieza's ship was crashing right through the little attackers. He was unharmed, but it was slowing him down.

"Now you get to see the real weapons." Orion said proudly.

Vegeta was about to ask what he meant, but stopped when he saw several larger ships rise from a nearby planet. The larger ships split into two groups: two after them, and three after Frieza. As they neared their targets, several tiny arm-like weapons emerged from hidden panels.

"This is gonna hurt. I suggest you follow me."

Vegeta said nothing as Orion sent the ship into an uncontrollable spin. When the Wildfire stood and began walking to the back of the ship, he still remained quiet. It wasn't until he was handed the energy reading helmet that he spoke.

"What's this for?"

"It'll let you breath in space for about three minutes."

"Why am I going outside?"

"You don't have to, but I just figured you wouldn't want to be here when we explode."

"Excuse me?"

"Those weapons you just saw... They will puncture the hull, then send electric charges through the wiring. It won't be pretty."

"You could have mentioned that earlier."

"I said it would be a bumpy ride."

"I have to get the Dragonball."

"Whatever, just be back in about..." The ship started spinning faster. "Ten seconds."

Vegeta cursed loudly and ran to the sleeping area. Orion laughed and pulled a small silver disk from his pocket. Green energy spread from the disk as he stuck it to his chest. In three seconds everything but his head was covered. Vegeta ran out of the sleeping area with the helmet on. Orion brought his hand up and pushed a button on the side of the helmet. A loud hiss issued from the helmet as it closed over the Saiyan's mouth and began pumping air into his lungs.

"Let's go." Orion said as his energy armor created a bubble of air over his head.

He pulled a lever and the door opened. The two watched the approaching ships try to impale them as they passed. Orion grabbed Vegeta's free hand and leapt from the spinning death trap. The two neared one of the attacking arms and it swung at them. Orion charged energy into his free hand and fired a blast at it. The arm flung backward and came back for another try.

Orion looked at Vegeta and smiled. "When we get down there, get the door open."

Vegeta looked at him in confusion. Orion stuck out his hand and grabbed the arm-like weapon. Vegeta used his energy to propell himself toward the ship, Orion being pulled along as if sliding down the pole. Once they were standing on the ship itself, Orion let go of Vegeta and began charging energy into his hands. Vegeta slowly made his way to the ship's hatch. He used an energy charged hand to punch a handhold in the door and pulled it open.

Within seconds an inner door began closing slowly to seal the breach. Vegeta turned to see Orion blasting the other attacker. Vegeta almost climbed into the ship without him, but then he saw something that made him stop. Orion's green armor was receding. It no longer covered his hands or his feet. The Wildfire was using too much energy. Going against everything he had learned of battle, Vegeta abandoned the door and moved toward Orion

Orion threw another blast at the other ship. Vegeta's hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him toward the open door. The spinning mess that was his ship, passed between them and their attacker. Orion threw one last burst of energy into the wreckage, setting off a small explosion the sent it flying towards their attacker. The fire was quickly snuffed without oxygen, but it had done it's job. The other ship was knocked off course. Orion cheered at his success before passing out.

Vegeta dropped through the open door and pulled it closed. He used a small amount of energy to weld the hole shut and glanced down at Orion. The energy armor was gone now, and the Wildfire had no oxygen to breathe. Vegeta once again broke his own code of battle, and transferred his helmet to his ally. Working as fast as he could, the Saiyan began pushing buttons on the wall. It was only a few seconds before he started to feel lightheaded and could not stand anymore.

As he fell to his knees he realized that he had one shot left to get in. He punched a hole in the door under his feet and air flooded the small chamber. It seemed to be escaping slowly into space, but it was allowing him to breathe once again. He pulled the door open as fast as he could and dropped down to the floor. He filled his lungs with air and glanced down the narrow corridoor. Doors were closing in both directions. He picked up Orion and ran toward the closest one.

The doors closed seconds after the two were safely on the other side. Vegeta sat Orion down and transferred a portion of his energy into the Warrior. With nothing to do but wait, Vegeta leaned against the wall and inhaled deeply.

On the bridge of the ship...

"Sir, the breach has been sealed, but someone may have gotten in."

"Then get up there and contain them."

"Yes sir!"

Three Wildfire soldiers made their way to the hatch area. They arrived to find Vegeta leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. The lead soldier held up his hand and the other two stopped.

"You there," Vegeta's eyes snapped open. "You are under arrest by order of the Wildfire Army."

Vegeta frowned at them and stepped away from the wall. "This is not my day..." He mumbled as he held both hands above his head. "I understand."

The soldiers looked at one another and two of them rushed forward to bind his hands. As they pulled his hands behind his back, he smiled evily. He grabbed his captors wrists and threw them into the walls. The third soldier rushed at him and swung. Vegeta laughed at the pathetic attempt and kneed him in the gut. He grabbed the two recovering men by their heads and flung them forward. They stopped themselves and turned to face him.

"And I was told the Wildfire Army was strong."

Vegeta charged energy into both hands and punched both of the men between the eyes. He laughed again at the sight of the three moaning in pain as they lay on the floor. The struggle, though brief, woke Orion. He opened his eyes and looked around. He realized that is was getting hard to breath and brought his hand to his head. He moved his fingers across the helmet's exterior until he found the button that released the oxygen mask. He looked up at Vegeta and coughed.

"You gave me the helmet?"

Vegeta turned and frowned. "Don't get the wrong idea, I just don't know how to fly this thing."

"I see..."

Orion laughed inwardly and stood. He and Vegeta bound the hands and feet of the soldiers and proceeded to the bridge. Once there, they burst into the room and knocked out the men closest to them. The soldiers on board turned and prepared for battle. A voice sounded through the ships speakers.

"The bridge is under attack!"

As soon as the announcement finished, rock music began blasting through the speakers. Vegeta looked at Orion and the Wildfire explained.

"Wildfire tradition: When you're going to die on your own ship, go down with style."

"So they know they're going to die?"

"Yep. Energy readers are installed throughout the ship. You could take them all with your eyes closed."

Vegeta laughed as the twelve soldiers charged. "Let's have some fun!" 


	31. Aftermath

Aftermath 

Yamcha landed next to his pupil. He quickly began unscrewing the thermos top as Korin walked over to them.

"What you got there?" The cat asked.

"Herbal Tea. It's not as potent as those beans of yours, but it does the trick."

He slowly poured some into gohan's mouth and was happy to see the boy swallow. After several minutes, in which Yamcha began to worry, Gohan started to stir. Yamcha let loose a sigh of relief and sat back. Gohan sat up and looked at Yamcha.

"What happened? Are you okay? What about the others?"

"Whoa there, one question at a time. But first, how do you feel?"

"Okay I guess. I'm still a little sore, but I'll live."

"That's what I wanted to hear. So on to your questions. We got a little help and we won. I'm fine. Everyone else is fine too."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

"Don't be, you did great. Actually, we killed that guy because of you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So, thanks for the assist. On another note, you don't need to train anymore."

"But I'm still not strong enough."

"You're plenty strong. If you had been there, you would've given Vegeta a run for his money."

"Vegeta? He was there?"

"Was... He's dead now. You helped defend the planet aginst him and his buddies. Your dad would be proud."

"He's... Dead? But that means I failed. I didn't avenge Dad."

"Sure you did. Because of you, we survived to take him out. You're the reason we won."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Now that it's all over, I think we should go home... Both of us. I'm sure your mom misses you, and I know you miss her."

"Where will you go?"

"Well, I'm gonna go back to Capsule Corp. Bulma and Puar probably can't wait to hear about the battle." Yamcha stopped talking and looked at his student. He put his hand on his shoulder and smiled. "You make sure to meditate often. I'm gonna come check in on you once in a while."

"You bet."

"Well then, we should get going. Thanks for keeping him company Korin."

Korin smiled. "It was no problem."

"Hey, what about me?" Yajirobe asked indignantly.

"What about you?" Korin asked. "You told me you weren't a babysitter."

"That was a joke. I was really worried about the little guy."

"Oh, so those were snores of worry huh?""

"Exactly."

"You guys are like an old married couple." Yamcha laughed as he and Gohan lifted into the air. Within seconds they could no longer be seen.

"What's for breakfast? I'm starving."

------------------------

Orion and Vegeta sat at the two main control kiosks. They had tied everyone up and stored them in another room for the time being.

"I still don't know why you didn't let me kill them." Vegeta fumed.

"Because I fought alongside them in the past. Would you like me to kill you later?"

"As if you could..."

"The point remains valid. We'll dump them somewhere on the way. We should probably patch up those doors you broke too."

"You told me to get them open!"

"I'm not mad, I just said we should fix them."

Vegeta looked around the room and frowned. "What's that tapping sound?"

"I don't hear anything... Hang on." The music stopped. "Oh that. I think the other ship is trying to impale us."

"Trying?"

"Well, these ships are designed to repel energy. And those arms are coated in electric currents." He started pushing buttons on his kiosk. "Of course if they were smart..."

"What are you doing?"

"It's a simple matter to puncture the ship if we get rid of the currents. Enough force and we can get right through. Do you see that joystick in front of you?"

"Yes."

"Push the button on top of it. That should bring up a view of the outside." Vegeta did as instructed and was greeted by several symbols he didn't understand, as well as an image of the front of the ship. "Now get us in range for an attack. I'll take care of the rest."

Vegeta gripped the joystick and steered the ship forward. "How do I go up?"

"Oh, right... They need to upgrade these things. There should be a small switch on the side. If you flip it one way you move horizontally, and the other way is vertical."

"Absurd. What if you need to do both at the same time?"

"That's why there are several kiosks. In a battle at least five people are required to function properly. This is an out-dated model."

"Does that mean more ships will come?"

"I hope not. This is an outpost, which means minimal security. I'm not an idiot."

Once the ship was facing the right way, Orion blocked the electric current for the weapons and impaled the other ship. He then turned the current back on and watched as the other ship ceased functioning. He smiled at Vegeta and began pushing buttons again.

"Is that it?" The Saiyan asked.

"Yep."

"You mentioned explosions."

"Internally. Fire can't survive in space... No oxygen."

Disappointed, Vegeta turned the ship around to look at Frieza's ship. It was motionless in between two other ships. Vegeta smiled, until he realized that a ship was missing. He turned to Orion.

"We're missing one."

"One what?"

"Frieza only has two attackers now. He used to have three."

"Other guy landed on the planet."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"Nope. We have about twenty seconds until we're outta here. Let him go for help."

Vegeta muttered something under his breath and was thrown back as the ship began moving. "How is the ship moving on its own?"

"I gave it coordinates. Manual flight is only neccesary during a battle."

"Oh, I assumed all of your technology was primitive." 


	32. Reunions

Reunions 

Likab and Mr. Popo waited patiently for the heroes to return. As the three came into view, they smiled. The battle had been won, and the group of fighters remained intact. It was a good day.

------------------------

Gohan landed in front of his house. It had been so long since he had seen it or his mother. He opened the front door and called out.

"Mom? I'm home!"

Chi-Chi ran into the entrance area and nearly fainted. "Where have you been?! I've been worried sick!"

Gohan cringed as his mother yelled at him. It was good to be home.

------------------------

Bulma sat on her bed with her arms around her knees. She had woken up during the night and was unable to sleep. She was worried about Yamcha. As she thought of him, she heard a knock at the door. Slowly, she rose to answer it. She wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's neck and kissed him.

"It's nice to see you too." He laughed when she broke away.

"I was so worried. I woke up last night and it felt as if something had happened to you."

"Something did happen. We fought some seriously strong guys last night. I thought I was a goner for sure until Krillin and Chiaotzu showed up."

"Was it that guy?"

"Frieza? No. They worked for him though. Wore the same armor as Vegeta too."

"So why don't you tell me how you whooped their butts."

Yamcha chuckled and sat down on the bed. Bulma followed and he began his tale. By the time he finished, making himself sound stronger than he was, she was asleep in his arms. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face and smiled. He lay her down on the bed and stood. He knew Puar would want to hear the tale as well. Suddenly exhaustion swept over him. Puar could wait, he needed to sleep. He lay down next to his lover and faded into dreams.

------------------------

One week after the battle with the Ginyu Force, Goku had completed his training. King Kai contacted Likab and told him to revive Goku as soon as possible so that he might be able to help the others in the next battle. A new set of Dragonballs was created, with an entirely new dragon. Likab summoned the dragon and wished Goku back to life. Goku looked above his head and watched his halo disappear. He looked at King Kai and was amazed to see him fading away.

In an instant he was standing before Earth's new Guardian. "How did I get here?"

Likab laughed. "I wished you back to life."

"But shouldn't I have gone back to my body?"

"Your body here has already begun decomposing. The body that was created for you in Other World has become your new body."

"Well that's interesting. So your the new Guardian huh?"

"That would be me. It's nice to finally meet the legendary Goku."

"Legendary? I don't know about that..."

"You're famous on this planet. But enough talk... You probably want to see your friends and family."

"Right, I need to get home." Goku lifted into the air.

"Take care." Mr. Popo called as the warrior faded from view. "It is another good day."

"Well said Mr. Popo, well said."

-----------------------

Gohan was outside preparing water for a bath when he saw someone headed for his home. Thinking it was Yamcha he began to walk toward the front of the house. As the person neared, it became clear that it was not Yamcha. Gohan's eyes teared up as he saw the figure descending.

"Mom!"

"What is it Gohan?" She called from inside.

"It's Dad! Dad's back!"

Thinking her son was hallucinating, she went outside to check on him. As she emerged into the sunlight she saw her husband standing next to her son. Goku caught her as she fainted.

"Can't say I wasn't expecting that..." He laughed as he lay her down. "So, is that strong energy I feel... You?"

"Yeah, Yamcha trained me."

"Yamcha? I woulda never guessed he'd take on a student. You'll have to tell me all about it later."

"You bet Dad. I won't leave out a single thing."

"Great. Now uh, you might want to get your mother a cold rag." 


	33. Training Resumes

Training Resumes 

Within minutes after his arrival, everyone knew that Goku was back. His friends all sensed his energy and interrupted their training. Yamcha rushed to Capsule Corp. to tell Bulma, and the others went straight to him.

Tien and Chiaotzu laughed as they struggled to keep up with Krillin. The Monk was about the same strength as either of them, but when he got excited he could fly faster than the Nimbus cloud. Krillin couldn't be happier. His best friend was back from the dead. He landed in front of Goku and began talking too fast to understand.

"Whoa Krillin." Goku laughed. "All I understood was my name."

"Sorry. I just can't believe you're back. We were told that there weren't going to be anymore Dragonballs."

"Really? Well, I only found out a couple days ago. The new Guardian must have made an exception."

At this point Tien and Chiaotzu had landed. Tien held out his hand. "We're glad you're back, Goku."

"I'm glad to be back." Goku said as he shook Tien's hand. "I guess Gohan wasn't the only one training."

"Yeah, we've been busy. We're expecting a fight soon."

"Maybe that's why I was allowed to come back."

"You don't need to worry about that right now, Goku." Krillin said as he looked at Chi-Chi. "I'm sure you want to spend some time with your family first."

"If we're in danger, I want to help."

"But we don't even know if he's coming. We just wanna be prepared, that's all."

Gohan came out of the house and put a cold rag on his mother's forehead. He looked up at the others. "Where's Yamcha?"

"Oh, he went to tell Bulma about Goku. He should be here any minute."

As if on cue, a plane swept toward the group. It landed several feet away and the hatch opened. Bulma, Puar, and Yamcha tumbled out. Bulma stood with her mouth open. Yamcha walked right over and placed a hand on Goku's shoulder.

"It's good to see you buddy."

"You too Yamcha. I hear you've become a teacher."

Yamcha rubbed the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. He was so determined to learn... I just thought it would be better if he had a teacher. Master Roshi couldn't keep up with him."

Goku laughed and looked down at Gohan, a look of pride in his eyes. He then looked at Bulma. "Are you going to say hello, or just catch flies all day?"

Bulma shook her head and smiled. "Oh Goku... It's really you. I thought the Dragon Radar was malfunctioning."

"Nope, it's me. The new Guardian was waiting to make the Dragonballs until I was finished with my training."

Everyone welcomed Goku back repeatedly for the next few minutes. By the time Chi-Chi woke up, Goku was starting to get sick of hearing it. Chi-Chi rose and and looked at her husband. Her eyes swelled with tears as his smiling face turned to her. She stood and wrapped her arms around him.

"I can't believe you're back..." She mumbled into his neck.

The others all decided it was a good time to leave. Yamcha bent down and whispered something in Gohan's ear before lifting into the air with the others. The boy smiled as he watched them fly away. His dad was back... Nothing could ruin this day.

-------------------------

Orion turned his sword over in his hands. He was glad that he had already been wearing it when they had been attacked. It was one of four artifacts that he always kept with him: His sword, his armor disk, his helmet, and Demas' sword. Vegeta no longer had his armor, and he was not happy about it.

"How are you going to replace it?" The Saiyan fumed as he paced the ship.

"First off: Why is it important all of the sudden? Second: You're the one who left it on the other ship."

Vegeta looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Shut up."

Orion laughed. "I need the coordinates for that planet. Frieza definately made it out of that."

"You should have went to your planet. They would have done more damage."

"To us too. I did what was neccesary to lose my pursuer. I am not in the mood to get killed yet."

"Fine. Just give me a few minutes to remember them. My scouter was left behind too."

Orion laughed and began scanning the nearby area for signs of Frieza.

---------------------------

It was several days after his ressurection before Goku resumed his training. Yamcha had told Gohan where to find the others when they were ready. The training room on Demas' ship had energy supressing panels that made it very hard to sense someone's energy while they were in it. Upon learning of Demas, Goku became very happy. Another great fighter to challenge always made Goku happy.

With Chi-Chi's instructions that her son stay away from danger, Goku and Gohan went to train with the others. As they neared the area specified by Yamcha, they could see a large round ship come into view. They quickly descended and knocked on the door. Shouts could be heard from inside as the door opened. Krillin smiled at his friend.

"Hey Goku. Are you sure Chi-Chi doesn't mind you being here?"

Goku laughed and started up the ramp. "She's fine with it as long as I have Gohan home in time for dinner."

The three made their way to the training room. Goku looked at the display next to the door and was surprised to see "x-2". He looked through the tiny window to see his friends ganging up on someone he didn't know. He noticed that his friends were breathing very heavily and looked ready to pass out.

Krillin smiled. "Double the Earth's normal gravity. It takes some getting used to, but it's worth the effort."

"I'll bet. Is that how that guy got so strong?"

"Sorta. He says that he trains under much heavier gravity."

"Heavier? How much?"

"I think he said his home planet is 100 times Earth's gravity."

"100! King Kai only had me training at 10 times Earth's gravity and it took me weeks just to walk normally."

"You trained under 10 times gravity? We need to step it up."

"Don't worry about that. Gradual increases will be much easier to adjust to than a sudden jump. I didn't have much of a choice because the gravity on King Kai's planet is 10 times Earth's. Of course I think for today at least we should stick with normal gravity so we don't wear out Gohan. I don't think he's fought anyone as strong as this Demas guy."

Gohan tugged on his dad's pant leg. "I'll be okay Dad."

"I'm sure you will, but I want to see what you can do before we get too serious."

"Okay."

A beeping signaled the drop in gravity as the door slid open. Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu limped out.

"First dibs on the tank." Yamcha said as they filed past Goku. "Oh, hey Goku."

"Tank?" Goku asked.

"Oh right." Krillin rubbed the back of his neck. "I forgot to tell you. There's this tank that heals all of your wounds in just a couple hours. It lets us go all out during every session."

"Sounds useful."

"So," Demas called from the room. "you're Goku. And the little guy must be Gohan."

Goku nodded and walked into the room. He held out his hand and smiled. "Nice to meet you. I hear you're strong."

"I don't like to brag, but I am stronger than your friends. I am curious to see how you do though." By this time Gohan had entered the room and bowed to the young man. "Nice to meet you kid. Are you as strong as Yamcha tells me you are?"

Gohan's cheeks reddened. "I'm still learning sir, but I'll do my best."

"That's what I like to hear. So how about we get started. Krillin, get in here and close the door." 


	34. The Kaioken

The Kaioken 

Demas blocked a punch from Krillin and threw one of his own at Gohan. The boy flew into the floor and skidded to a halt. He stood shakily and ran back into the fight. Goku brought both hands to his right side and began charging energy. Demas created a small orb and threw it at the Saiyan. Goku dodged and continued his charge. Gohan kicked Demas in the ribs and began punching him.

"Kame... Hame..." Goku nodded at Krillin.

Krillin ran behind Demas and threw a blast at the back of his head. Demas spun Gohan around and kicked backward. Krillin doubled over as Goku unleashed his attack.

"HAAA!" The blue beam erupted from Goku's hands and struck the Wildfire in the chest. Demas took the attack without flinching. Goku let the beam die and stared in disbelief. No wonder the guys had asked to train with this guy. A full power Kamehameha didn't even phase him. Goku was excited.

Demas laughed at the look on Goku's face. Goku centered himself and began to focus inwardly. Demas stopped laughing and watched in amazement as a red aura whipped around Goku. He was so surprised by the action that he was punched in the jaw by Gohan. He blocked the next hit and rubbed his chin.

"What exactly are you doing?" He asked Goku.

Goku grinned. "It's called Kaioken. It's a way to double your fighting power temporarily."

"Interesting. You might want to teach that to your friends. It could help during a battle against Frieza."

"That's why King Kai taught it to me. Shall we see how much it helps?"

"Let's."

Goku launched himself at Demas. Gohan stopped his attack and tried to watch the battle. Krillin saw the boy struggling to keep up with the fight and walked over to him. He placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder and began instructing him.

"Apparently this isn't something that came up during your training with Yamcha. Instead of trying to watch them, feel them out. Useing their energy as a guide you'll be able to keep up with their movements easier."

"Right." Gohan stopped squinting and did his best to sense his father's energy. It was a bit easier to see them. "I still can't keep up, but it does help. Thank you."

"No problem. What do you say the two of us spar. It's obvious that we aren't going to be much use in that fight anymore."

"If it's all right with you, I would like to keep trying to see them."

"That's fine. I guess I'll take a break for a while." The monk sat down next to Gohan and watched the fight.

Goku connected a punch in Demas' gut. The Wildfire retaliated by kicking Goku in the head. The Saiyan flipped backward and flung himself at his opponent. Demas dodged the blow and blocked a few more. He was having too much fun to stop anytime soon. He continued to block and dodge everything Goku threw at him. He threw a few lazy punches and made no real attempt to hit his opponent. Nearly an hour went by before Goku's aura returned to normal and the two fighters abrubtly stopped.

Goku laughed. "I can't keep that up any more. Hey guys, you can join back in anytime."

Krillin jumped up and he and Gohan rushed back into the fight. Another two hours went by and Krillin called for a halt. Everyone looked at him.

"Don't get me wrong." He said as they all gave him questioning glances. "I can keep going, but Gohan has a bloody lip and a bunch of bruises. I think he should head for the healing tank so he's all better when you leave. I wouldn't want Chi-Chi to see him all beat up."

Goku nodded. "He's right. You should rest up son. You'll get to fight again in a few days."

"Yes sir." Gohan said reluctantly as he left the room.

Demas smiled and tapped Goku on the shoulder. Goku turned around and was punched in the face. Goku wiped away the trickle of blood caused by his tooth puncturing his lip, and smiled. It had been a while since he had this much fun.

Gohan walked up to the healing tank and peered in. He turned as Tien walked into the room and asked when Chiaotzu would be done. He was under orders to use the tank. Tien peered at the display next to the tank and told him it would be a few minutes. To pass the time, he explained how the tank worked. As soon as Chiaotzu emerged, Gohan entered.

As he awoke from his slumber, Gohan saw Yamcha sitting in a chair outside the tank. He exited and dressed.

"How was it?" The former bandit asked.

"Like sleeping in the bath."

"How do you feel?"

"Great. Is my dad still fighting?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't go in there just yet. They bumped the gravity up to 10 times. Krillin even came out."

"What time is it?"

"About 5:30."

"We should be going soon. Mom is gonna want me to study before dinner."

Yamcha nodded and went to the door. He knocked and Demas returned the gravity to normal. He opened the door and relayed the message to Goku. After a reluctant goodbye on Goku's part they walked outside. As they turned to leave, Goku asked Krillin if they could move Demas' ship closer to his house. That way Gohan could train for longer periods of time and more often. Krillin said it shouldn't be a problem and father and son lifted into the air.

---------------------

Frieza clenched and unclenched his fists. He had left the ship and disposed of the attacking ships, but they did their damage. His ship was completely useless now. His captive crew was working to fix it as fast as they could, but every second left them further from their goal. Vegeta had escaped... Again. The tyrant was on the verge of killing everyone on board, but knew that would only worsen the situation. He leaned back in his chair and thought of his past, before the monkeys.

Frieza stepped through the door into the medical room. His father was already there, waiting for him. Frieza smirked as he saw the figure recieving treatment. The man looked as if he had been a victim of Frieza's torture. His father turned and smiled.

"Glad you could make it." The king said as he turned back to the patient.

"Why have you summoned me Father?"

"I want you to meet someone." King Cold gestured to the patient. "This is Ginyu. He is a very unique individual."

"Oh, and how so?"

"From what I've been told, he can switch bodies with anyone he chooses. My men tell me that he became one of them in order to escape the destruction of his planet. Unfortunately for him, they figured it out."

"So why are we healing him instead of killing him?"

"Because a talent like that would be useful in your army."

"My army? Then you are allowing me to rule?"

"Not quite yet. First you must train this man. If you can convince him to be your loyal servant, without killing him, then you will start your rule."

Frieza frowned at the man being repaired. "I can't kill him if he refuses?"

"No. Everyone will refuse at first. As a ruler you must find ways to convince your fighters to obey you. If you can not convince this man to serve under you, then you will never rule. That is my final word on the matter."

Frieza turned and walked out of the room. Convince someone who probably wants you dead to serve you... It was a nearly impossible task. And to make matters worse, that man could steal your body at will. This was going to be one unhappy period in the future ruler's life.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Yeah! It's the official end to the Ginyu Saga! Now we get to have a HUGE multi-man fight in the Frieza Saga. 11 people will be fighting Frieza at once... And if your not careful, you might get lost.


	35. One Year Later

One Year Later 

It had been one year since Goku's ressurection, and everyone was much stronger now. The Z Fighters were training at 50 times Earth's gravity, and Gohan had quickly caught up to the others in terms of strength. Goku could now, for a limited time, fight Demas as an equal opponent. Demas was sure that in another year's time the group would be as strong as him.

Orion and Vegeta had created an almost impossible to follow trail on their way to Earth. Frieza was unlikely to find them for a while. Of course that didn't make Vegeta feel any better about coming back. He was sure to get a cold welcome from the planet's inhabitants. As their armored ship touched down on the planet, the Z Fighters sensed them immediately.

Everyone except Gohan and Demas tensed as they felt the energies enter the solar system. Gohan was not able to sense energy when Vegeta was last there and did not recognize the power. Demas however, was surprised to sense one of the energies. It was an energy that he never expected to feel again. Could his best friend really be on Earth, or was his mind playing tricks on him? He shook his head and began out of the ship. The others followed.

Orion watched the numbers flash on his helmet. There was a concentration of strong powers in one area. He turned to Vegeta. "Are you sure we'll be safe here?"

"Why?"

"Oh, no reason. It's just that there's a group of fighters strong enough to kill us down there."

"Impossible. I know for a fact that the strongest Earthlings couldn't even hurt me."

"Well then, Frieza might have beat us here."

"It can't be. What are the power levels?"

"Well, there's one that's about 85,000, one at 56,000, and a bunch around 20,000."

"The Ginyu Force?" Vegeta wondered aloud. "How many are there?"

"Seven."

"It could be the Ginyu Force... Captain Ginyu is the only one of Frieza men recorded over 50,000."

"Well whoever they are, they probably know we're coming. Should we land far away and try to hide, or stand and fight?"

"Hide? Have you no pride? We will fight. There are only two that will pose a threat, so we focus on them. I will need you to tell me which one is the strongest so that I may kill him."

"You got it."

Orion initiated the landing sequence and stood. He affixed his armor disk to his chest and made his way to the hatch. Vegeta followed, an uneasy feeling creeping up his back.

Yamcha watched Gohan stare at the sky. He had to tell him about Vegeta now, or things might go very wrong very quickly. "Gohan?"

"Yeah?" The young boy turned to his friend.

"You need to know something. About Vegeta... He wasn't actually here that night." Gohan gave him a look of confusion. "He's not dead. He's on the ship that's coming at us."

"What?" Anger took hold of the boy. His aura flared and the others felt his power rise slightly. "Why did you lie to me?"

"It was for your own good. I couldn't let you throw away your life for revenge. And he wasn't supposed to ever come back."

"And that makes it okay?!"

"No, but..."

"Wait a minute guys." Goku interrupted. "What are you talking about?" Krillin briefly told Goku the story of Gohan's revenge. Goku put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Maybe you should go inside for a while. It might not be a good idea for you to be here when he arrives.

Gohan glared at his father. They were all trying to keep him from his revenge. It didn't matter that his father was back, he had died at the hands of a cold-blooded killer. Nothing could change that. The half Saiyan boy flew away before anyone could stop him. Goku started to go after him, but was stopped by Yamcha.

"Let him have some time to think. If Vegeta is here to fight, we'll need you. Gohan can take care of himself for a while."

Goku nodded, but was reluctant to let his son wander alone at a time like this. Within minutes a ship descended through the clouds. Demas recognized the design at once. He wasn't going crazy. There were only two Wildfires crazy enough to come after Demas, and one was forbidden to leave the planet. Orion had to be on that ship.

The ship softly touched the ground. The hatch opened and Vegeta jumped out. He laughed as he saw those gathered. "I think your helmet is broken, Orion. We have no strong fighters here." Then the Saiyan prince's heart stopped cold. Standing before him, clearly unharmed, was the man he had killed nearly two years earlier. "Impossible."

"What are you going on about?" Orion asked as he floated up and out of the hatch.

"I killed you!" Vegeta screamed. "How can you be standing there?!"

Goku smiled. "Thanks for that by the way. I got special training in Otherworld."

"How?!"

"The new Guardian wished me back."

"New... Guardian? What does that mean? Are you telling me that there is another set of Dragonballs?"

"Yep."

"That is fantastic! Now I become immortal!"

"I don't think so. Your not a very nice person, you shouldn't be aloowed to use the Dragonballs."

"Oh, and you think you can stop me?"

"Hold it!" Orion put his arm in front of the fuming Vegeta. "I think we all just need to calm down. I have just spotted the guy I've been searching for. If the two of you want to fight, do it later."

"What? How dare you speak to me like that!"

Demas floated up to Vegeta. "Listen, I can sense how strong you are. I can tell you now that there are three people here of equal or greater strength than you, and all of them will kick your ass if you don't shut it."

Vegeta's mouth opened and closed, giving him the appearence of a fish. Orion laughed and held out his hand. "Well put." Demas grabbed his friend's hand and pulled him into a hug.

"I can't believe you came looking for me. Are you crazy? Who's making sure my dad doesn't hurt Lira."

"Uh, that's a long story. I'll explain it all soon, I promise. But first, we need to figure out what to do with all of the anger around here."

"Right."

Orion explained to the Z Fighters what had happened since he and Vegeta met, leaving out details that only Demas would understand. They agreed that it was a smart course of action and allowed Vegeta to stay on Earth until Frieza's defeat. Vegeta warned them once again of Frieza's almost limitless power, they agreed to train with him in order to strengthen their chances, and he agreed not to try to kill them or collect the Dragonballs. Goku and Yamcha went off to find Gohan, Orion took Demas into the army ship to explain things, and the others decided to try their hand at fighting Vegeta in the training room. 


	36. Calling the Eternal Dragon

Calling the Eternal Dragon 

Gohan flew. He didn't care where. All that mattered was that he go. Why couldn't he kill the murderer? What would it hurt? Suddenly, he felt Demas' energy double. That wasn't good. Something must be going down. 'I'll kill that bastard.' The boy thought as he turned back to the ship.

Orion stumbled backward. "Calm down buddy, you're scaring me."

"Good. You brought her into space, into danger. You let her die!"

"I know man, but listen..."

"No! I'll make you feel my pain!" Demas pulled back his fist.

"Wait! You heard what those guys said. Those balls, they can bring people back to life. She doesn't have to stay dead."

Demas stopped and pondered this new turn of events. She could be brought back. Maybe he wouldn't have to rip out Orion's heart after all. The Wildfire prince lowered his fist. His muscles relaxed, his aura stopped whipping around, and his eyes returned to normal. He fell to his knees and cried.

Orion knelt down and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know it hurts. I understand the pain of loss, of knowing you'll never see her face again. But now we have a chance to bring her back, to bring both of them back. It'll be okay."

------------------------

All was explained to the others once the two Wildfires emerged. Krillin looked into Demas' eyes and smiled.

"We'll just get the radar from Bulma. It'll be a snap."

"Why does he get to use the Dragonballs, and not me?" Vegeta asked indignantly.

"Because..." Krillin explained. "He wants to use them to reverse death. You want to use them so you can cause death."

"That doesn't make it any less selfish."

Orion shook his head at Vegeta. "Give it up. You've already been forbidden from useing them."

So Orion, Demas, Krillin, and Yamcha flew to Capsule Corp. to get the radar. As they flew into the horizon, Goku put his hand on Gohan's shoulder.

"Son, I think you need to learn something while we're here."

Vegeta looked at Goku and smiled. "What's that Kakarot, how to die?"

"No, I want him to learn forgiveness."

Tien turned to Vegeta. "He wants Gohan to forgive you, but you're not making it easy for the kid."

"Forgiveness, hah." Vegeta smirked. "A Saiyan should be cold and ruthless. You shouldn't be teaching him these soft emotions. You should be teaching him how to harness that anger inside him."

"That's not right." Goku answered.

"The kid should hate me; I killed his father. Remember how you felt when you found out kid, it'll save your ass in battle."

As he watched Vegeta walk into Demas' ship, Gohan no longer wanted to kill the man. He was right, the anger made him stronger. Killing him wouldn't make him feel any different. This was the most important lesson anyone could teach him. He looked over at his father.

"You're right father. I can not hate him for what he did." He smiled inwardly. 'He made me stronger.'

"I'm glad you understand son."

------------------------

The seven Dragonballs lay in the grass, glowing brighter as each was placed next to the others. Yamcha smiled at the two outsiders.

"I love this part. Oh mighty dragon, we call you forth! Come to us and grant our wish!"

The sky blackened and silence hung in the air. From the mystical orbs, a giant winged dragon burst forth. Its maroon scales gleamed with a deep glow all their own. It looked down at the four men and spoke.

"I am Golyak. Speak your wish and it shall be granted."

Krillin looked at the others. "He's definately not Shenron. Well Demas, it's your wish."

Demas looked up at the dragon and yelled his wish. "Great dragon, I wish for you to bring the Wildfire known as Lira back from the dead!"

The dragon's eyes lit up. "It shall be done." Several seconds went by before the dragon spoke again. "I'm sorry, your wish can not be granted."

"What?" Yamcha asked. "Why not?"

"The one known as Lira does not wish to return to this relm. She refuses."

"Why?" Demas asked.

"I do not know. Please make a different wish."

Tears fell from Demas' eyes. He patted Orion on the back. "I guess you're up."

"Demas... I'm sorry." Orion turned to the dragon. "I wish for you to bring the Wildfire known as Danielle to me."

"I will see what I can do." The dragon's eyes lit up again. For a moment it looked confused. "You wished for me to bring the Wildfire known as Danielle to you?"

"Yes!"

"I do not understand. The one you wish to be brought to you, is already a part of you."

"What?"

"The one known as Danielle is a part of you. To bring her before you, would kill you."

The four looked at each other in confusion. This was turning out to not be a good idea. Demas stood up straight.

"I wish to speak with someone who can answer our questions."

"That, I can do."

Demas shimmered and vanished. The Dragon dissapeared, his vessels rising into the air and shooting off to their next hiding places. The three remaining men stared at each other. Where had Demas gone? 


	37. The Battle Starts

The Batle Starts 

It had been three days since Demas had vanished. No one knew where he was at. Orion had stopped training, unable to focus on the fight. Vegeta slowly began telling the history of his people to Goku as they trained. Goku and Gohan listened intently to the tales as the fought. Whether they agreed with their methods or not, these were their people. It was during one of these training sessions that Vegeta suddenly stopped talking.

"What's wrong Vegeta?" Goku asked, stopping his swing.

"You don't feel that? That creeping evil sensation in the back of your mind?"

"No... Wait, I think I feel someone strong from far off though."

"That confirms it: Frieza. Warn everyone."

The prince quickly rushed out to find Orion. Within minutes everyone knew what was headed their way. They all flew to a remote area far from people and waited for him.

"I wish Demas was here." Yamcha muttered as the power neared.

"Well he's not. He made a decision and that's that. Everyone make sure that your energy is at the surface. We want him to know where we are. It will keep him from attacking innocents."

"Listen to you, trying to save people." Orion laughed.

"Of course not! I just don't want weak little Humans getting in my way while I fight."

"Riiight." The Wildfire said sarcastically.

The next few minutes were heavy with anticipation. Anticipation and fear. The hybrid ship landed gently on the barren landscape. A door opened and a Namekian walked out cautiosly. Behind him, the small form of Frieza stepped out, completely calm.

"Thank you, but your services are no longer needed." He told the green man. The man ran back inside the ship. Frieza looked at his audience. "Vegeta... Did you think you had lost me?" Vegeta growled. "Well you were wrong. But a valiant effort none-the-less. I must say, you have assembled quite an extraordinary little group of fighters. If only they were mine... But alas, you no longer serve me."

Vegeta could hold his tongue no longer. "That was your decision Frieza! You ended that contract!"

"So you had no intention of overthrowing me? I ended your services because you had long ago decided it must be so. Now give me the Dragonball and I will make your deaths quick."

"It is you who will die Frieza!"

"Have it your way." The tyrant locked his knees and began to transform.

"He's transforming already!" Vegeta warned the others.

"I am not a fool... Vegeta." Frieza spat as his vocal cords rearranged themselves. "I can not kill all of you without transforming."

The group stood transfixed by the horrible site of his body shifting. Vegeta could not allow him to transform fully. He had to stop him as soon as possible. The prince rushed at the tyrant and began pounding away. Frieza smiled as his neck veins popped out.

"I love it when the monkeys are lively. Just remember, there's no full moon to help you this time."

As his transformation finished, Frieza laughed hysterically. He grabbed Vegeta and threw him to the ground. Vegeta rose and began his assault anew. Orion put on his helmet and checked the power of his adversary.

He gasped. "300,000. None of us are even close to his power."

"Then we just have to work as a team." Tien said.

The Humans nodded as they began to circle Frieza. Goku and Orion joined in the fight as the Humans began charging their most devastating attacks. Gohan stood frozen to the spot as he watched everyone fight. He wasn't ready, not for this. He was going to die, no doubt about it.

Frieza was now blocking all three attackers, ignoring the others as the charged their attacks. The tyrant still wore his scouter and laughed at the feeble power ratings. Not even all together could they beat him now. He punched Goku in the face and blasted Orion backward. Tien fired his Tri-Beam at the tyrant and nodded as it was dodged. Chiaotzu followed up with a large Dodonpa, as Krillin fired a Kamehameha. The Dodonpa was barely dodged as the Kamehameha hit him in the head. His scouter fell to the ground in pieces. Tien and Chiaotzu cheered and rushed in to fight him head on.

Yamcha continued to charge his Spirit Ball, as Krillin began charging his Destructo Disk. Vegeta fired a large one handed blast at point blank range. Goku jumped back and began charging a Kamehameha. Chiaotzu kicked his opponent, as Orion charged green energy into his right hand. Tien crossed his arms and split into three seperate Tiens. All three rushed Frieza. Krillin watched the fight as the disk of energy spun in his palm. There was too much action for him to be able to hit his target without hitting someone else.

Yamcha smiled evilly as his Spirit Ball finished forming. It was now so large that he couldn't see beyond it. He used his senses to track his friends' movement. He noticed Gohan, still as a statue and was thankful. It would be hard enough for him and Krillin to launch their attacks as it was. The boy was doing the best thing he could do for them at the moment: Wait in the wings. The former bandit waited until most of his friends were out of Frieza's reach and launched his attack.

Those not in attacking distance jumped back as the ball came crashing down. Explosions rocked the Earth as the attack did its damage. As the smoke cleared, everyone could clearly see Frieza's tail holding Vegeta's limp body over the tyrant's head. Frieza threw the body to the ground and looked at Yamcha.

"That could have hurt, if I didn't have my monkey shield."

The laugh chilled Yamcha to bone. He tried to remain calm as Frieza walked toward him, ignoring all others. Krillin took the opportunity to launch his attack. Frieza jumped as the buzzsaw sound neared. He was not going to fall for a cheap knockoff of one of his attacks. As the disk began to pass underneath him, he heard a grunt above him. He looked up in time to see Goku, bathed in a red aura, perform an axe-handle smash on his face.

Krillin silently cheered his best friend as the blow caused Frieza's tail directly into the disk. Frieza screamed in pain as his tail was severed in several places. All that remained of the magnificent appendage was a four inch long stub. He turned to Krillin and uttered a gutteral warcry in his native tongue. He raised both palms and instantly created two purple disks identical to Krillin's. The small monk gulped as they flew toward him. Even with Goku hitting him consistantly, and everyone else now joining back in, Frieza remained focused almost entirely on his disks. They followed Krillin faster than he could fly. Only his split second dodging and Yamcha's team throws saved him from looking like a salad.

Gohan couldn't believe how strong this guy was. He was missing part of his body, and still he was winning. The half Saiyan boy screached in pain as one of the disks grazed his right bicep. The sound was enough to distract Goku, who ended up getting hit by one of Tien's Dodonpas. Fireza laughed at the easily distracted warrior and thought of a plan. He had one disk continue it's pursuit of the monk, but the other doubled around for another attack on the boy. Gohan saw the disk coming right for him, but could do nothing about it. He was scared stiff.

Inches from death, Gohan was hit by a small pink blast. The blast hurled him sideways, out of harms way. Frieza looked at the source of the life saving attack and was furious. Vegeta chuckled at the evil man and collapsed.

"Damn..." He mumbled. "He noticed me." 


	38. A Plan

A Plan 

Krillin dropped to the ground at the last second, causing the two purple disks to hit each other. They pulsated for a second, then became one larger disk.

Krillin sighed. "Great, I made it bigger." The little monk began his escape again.

Two of the three Tiens were thrown into each other, causing them to unite. He stumbled backward and tripped over Vegeta. Vegeta grabbed the fallen warrior's arm and pulled him close.

"Listen to me..." His breathing was labored. "He might not... Be able to... Transform... While he's... Cha... Chase..."

"Chasing Krillin?"

The Saiyan prince nodded. "Take him out... Now..."

Tien nodded his agreement and stood. He relayed the message telepathically to the others and rejoined the fight. Vegeta lifted himself to his knees. He had a plan, but he would need help to do it. He crawled over to Gohan and grabbed the boy's hand as he fell facedown in the dirt. Gohan recoiled as something touched him, but relaxed as he saw that Vegeta could barely move. He lifted Vegeta's head.

"Help..." The Saiyan prince begged.

"H... How can I help?"

"Energy... Give me a little..."

"How?"

"Concentrate... Transfer a bit... To me." Gohan did as instructed and soon Vegeta was breathing normally. "Thanks kid. Now, do you see that monster? He's going to kill everyone here, including your father, if we don't stop him."

"But he's so strong..."

"I know. This is the moment I told you about. Do you remember?" Gohan shook his head. "It will save you... Remember how you felt when you learned of your father's death. Use your anger... It will save you." Gohan shook slightly as Vegeta stood. "I have a plan, but I need your help. You have to make sure that Frieza doesn't transform. You can stay on the sidelines for now, but if that maniac starts to change shape... You must attack him with every bit of rage in your being. Do you understand me?"

Gohan nodded slowly. Vegeta smiled a genuine smile. They still had a chance. As fast as he dared, without drawing attention his way, he ran towards his and Orion's confiscated ship. Surely Frieza brought the Dragonballs with him. If Vegeta could reunite his with the other six, then he could ressurect Raditz. Raditz could turn the tide in this battle. Vegeta knew that Raditz had been stronger than he was now. And to think of how much strength he would gain by being brought back, not from the brink of death, but from death itself. Frieza might as well pick out his gravestone now. Of course the whole plan was for nothing if Frieza didn't bring the Dragonballs, or if he transformed again.

------------------------

Demas blinked and the old man in front of him vanished, only to appear two feet to the right. "I wish you would hold still while I'm talking to you."

The man tipped his head as if listening to someone. "I see. It seems our time is up. I bid you farewell."

"Wait, what?"

"I grant you a new ability to use at your discretion. A gift for listening to me ramble."

"Because that's all it was. I can't believe that dragon screwed up so bad." Demas blinked again and was shocked to see Earth. He was back. Of course it seemed fitting that he would come back in the middle of a battle... He really needed to hit something. He lifted into the air and flew to the fight. As he arrived, he saw Krillin running from an attack. He dropped between the monk and his pursuer and held out a hand to stop it.

"Don't touch it!" Krillin yelled. In an instant the Wildfire prince was gone, appearing next to Krillin. He pulled the monk out of the way of the disk and began flying toward Frieza. "How did you do that?"

"I'm not sure. I'll explain later."

Vegeta landed behind Frieza's ship. Immediately, which surprised him, a second hatch opened in front of him. Out ran a Namekian man who grabbed the Saiyan and pulled him inside.

"Thank you for finding the Dragonball. We can go home now."

"I don't think so. I'm useing them."

"We can't let you do that."

"I could kill you and use them anyway."

"No you could not. They require a password which you do not have. As well as all wishes must be worded in Namekian."

"You have got to be kidding me. We went through all this trouble, and he couldn't use them anyway..." Vegeta dropped his head. "I must use the Dragonballs to bring a warrior back to life. A warrior who may be the key to defeating Frieza."

The other man thought this over. "Alright, but only two wishes. The third is ours."

"Third? Three wishes? Incredible..."

"Hurry, we must gather the other six and flee to a safer spot."

And so they did. Five Namekians, each with a Dragonball, and A Saiyan prince with two. They flew to the other side of the planet and summoned the dragon. The Namekians looked at Vegeta.

"So who's this guy we're supposed to bring back?"

"Right, his name is... Wait a minute. Tell the dragon to bring all those with Saiyan blood, who were killed by Frieza, back to life."

Gohan charged. Tien was down, Orion was fading, and Chiaotzu had disappeared. Frieza had stopped chasing after Krillin with his disk and had begun to transform again. Vegeta had made it clear that their only shot would be gone if Frieza transformed again. So the young half Saiyan jumped to action. Unfortunately, Frieza just flung his head and caught the boy on one of his horns. Blood dribbled from Gohan's mouth as he slipped out of consiousness. Frieza flung the corpse to the ground and turned to Goku.

"Gohan... GOHAN!" Goku flared his aura and charged. No one noticed the thin layer of hair that sprouted on his arms.

Porunga apologized for not being able to grant Vegeta's wish in its entirety. He was however, bringing back all with Saiyan blood who Frieza had killed in the last ten years. That was the limit of his power. Vegeta shruged it off. He had not expected it to work, but he at least got Nappa as well as Raditz. Two people to help in the fight. He smiled broadly as his two allies materialized in front of him. They both looked around confused.

Vegeta got their attention, which wasn't hard to do. "No time to explain. Frieza is here and is going to kill everyone. We are making a stand against him. The Saiyans will be free."

Raditz heard as far as "Frieza is here" and took off. Nappa looked at his young master and coughed. "We're attacking Frieza?"

"No you idiot, he attacked us. Now get over there and make yourself useful. It's in that direction. Only Frieza is an enemy, everyone else is helping me."

"Right!" Old habits reasserted themselves as the former general snapped to attention. It was like old times, except this battle was suicide. "Well, I've already died once. It can't be any worse the next time." The muscle-bound Saiyan flew away.

"So what's your next wish?" The Namekian in charge asked. 


	39. Super Saiyan

Super Saiyan 

Gohan's eyes fluttered open. He mumbled something unintelligable and sat up. Frieza, having just finished his transformation, heard the mumble. His eyes widened as he turned to see the boy, standing completely unharmed.

"I killed you, I know it."

Gohan turned to see the newer, uglier version of Frieza. He had failed to stop the transformation. He vowed to himself that he would fight to his death... Even though he thought that he just did. He launched himself at the tyrant. Frieza grabbed the boy by the head and threw him to the ground. He raised his right index finger to point at him. A small pink dot formed at the end of his finger. His shot went wide and struck the boy's shoulder as a foot connected with Frieza's head. The creature turned in anger and nearly had a heart attack.

"I killed you too!" Frieza looked up and noticed the black sky. "The Dragonballs..."

Raditz smirked. "Too late Frieza. They were used to bring me back to life. I would like you to know that I'm stronger than our last fight." The Saiyan punched his former boss in the face. The recovering Frieza was intercepted by a kick to the back of the head from Goku. Goku stared at his foe with a primal lust. His arms were now noticeably covered with a dark brown fur, and his muscles seemed ready to rip right through his skin. Raditz noticed these changes from his last visit to Earth, but did not question them. Better to thank heaven for any advantage that they could get.

"My second wish," Vegeta said hurriedly. "is to bring all fighters on Earth, except Frieza, to full power."

"I got it." The Namekian relayed the wish to Porunga. The dragon's eyes glowed red and Vegeta felt his strength return.

"It worked. I only hope that it will be enough." Vegeta lifted into the air.

"I'll refrain from our wish a while longer. If Frieza cannot be stopped, send up a signal of some sort and we will have Porunga transport him somewhere where he can do no harm... For a short while at least."

"Thank you." Vegeta felt great. He flew to the battle with a renewed vigor.

Gohan sat up and turned to see Frieza struggling against Raditz and Goku. He looked at his shoulder and wondered. Was he invincible? It seemed that every time Frieza struck him down, he got up without a scratch. And he felt stronger with every attack. This made things a lot simpler. Just fight, never stop. If he couldn't die, then he would win eventually. He stood and watched in amazement as every other fighter on the field did the same. It was as if he was a rallying point. The others must have seen his resiliance and regained their hope. He would be a hero this day.

Orion smiled as he saw Demas attacking Frieza. The Wildfire prince had eyes of flame, the same ones that scared Orion, and was fighting with everything he had. Goku was fighting too, but it seemed as if he was no longer the man he had met days earlier. A smile crept over his face as Gohan called out to the others.

"Let's kick his butt guys!" The small boy charged the monstrous Frieza.

Orion had no idea who the long haired Saiyan was, or his bald buddy, but they seemed to be on their side. And the tails made them automatic targets for Frieza's wrath. The Wildfire soldier raised his sword in preparation for the final assault. The appearence of a fully revitalized Vegeta signaled that this was it. All or nothing, sink or swim, live or die. He pulled Demas' sword out of its sheath and threw it at the back of its owner's head.

Demas, by pure instinct, caught the sword by the handle and brought it to bear. He poured a large amount of energy into it and it bent to his will. The metal glowed and curved, took the shape of a scimitar. The blade grew to almost six feet at once. He swung it down on Frieza's arm. The appendage bled heavily at the wrist. Demas brought the sword around for another swing. The tyrant sent out a shockwave of energy to push his enemies back. He immediately began to glow with the power of another transformation.

His wrist felt like it was on fire. The blade that had struck him was not of any metal he had ever seen. Most metal would have bent upon impact with his rough, armor-like body. Before anyone could stop him, he shrank down to his final form. He was now too strong to be hurt by the likes of them. Unfortunately, his right hand would not stop shaking. He had to get rid of the sword weilder first.

He focused energy into his right hand as he began blocking attacks with the left. He fired a blast too powerful for Demas to take. Demas flew backward, his sword landing in Vegeta's hands. One prince looked to another and recieved the permission he sought. The blade had returned to normal when it was seperated from its user, but Vegeta understood the basic principal. He charged energy into the blade and flew at Frieza. He met Orion and the two performed a sort of dodging sword dance as they inched their way closer to their desired target.

Gohan was wearing down against his opponent, but he was still alive. Frieza no longer cared about the little one. He would deal with the immortal kid later. He managed to hit Orion with a Death Wave, most of the damage being dealt to the sword. The Wildfire duo was now out of the fight. Frieza punched Nappa in the chest and threw his limp body at Vegeta, who casually caught it and tossed it aside. The Saiyan prince sidestepped Raditz as he was pushed backward. He was on a mision; the sword in his hand worked very much like the disk that Krillin had used earlier.

And speaking of the monk, he was being stepped on at the moment. Frieza had a foot on him and a foot on Chiaotzu, keeping them unable to move. The evil tyrant's hands were keeping the rest at bay. Yamcha was nearly done, his energy drained. He saw a punch bring down Gohan, which enraged the ever growing Goku even more, and scooped up the young fighter. He was only going to get in the way, he could feel it. Tien felt the same way and, even though he was still relatively unharmed, backed off in hopes of rescueing his pals at the first opportunity.

Raditz, blinded by his hatred for Frieza, was blindsided by the tyrant's left foot. Tien caught the falling Saiyan as he made away with Krillin. Vegeta finally found his desired target. The sword bit deep into Frieza's right wrist, severing the limb. Frieza howled in rage and shot a Death Beam into Vegeta's shoulder. The Saiyan prince dropped his sword but did not feel the pain.

"What's wrong Frieza? Don't look so mortified, you can always use it as a back scratcher!" He laughed as Yamcha made away with Chiaotzu's limp form. "Look what has become of you Frieza. You destroyed my planet because you feared that a Super Saiyan would one day be born. You feared that he would overthrow you."

Frieza was beyond words now. His vocal cords could utter nothing but howls of rage and defeat. Vegeta kept laughing as he was beaten senseless. Goku was growing ever larger as he became an Oozaru. But with no full moon and no tail, there could only be one thing that would trigger the transformation. Vegeta knew this, and was stalling for time so Goku could finish.

"You were right." He choked as blood spat from his mouth. "A Super Saiyan was born. And as much as I wanted that power for myself, I'm just glad I'm here to see it used against you." Frieza stopped his one handed pummeling and turned to the beast staring at him. "That's right Frieza... Kakarot is a Super Saiyan."

Frieza looked into Vegeta's eyes and his hatred for the Saiyan race overflowed. Without a sound he bent down and ripped the prince's head from his shoulders. He turned to Goku, the head still in his hand. The giant ape that stood before him howled in rage, a rage rivaling Frieza's. He shot a blast from his mouth that hit Frieza dead on. Frieza dropped his prize as he was hit, but did not feel as though this monkey could beat him. He looked up into his attacker's eyes with a smile. Surprisingly, the ape smiled back. The fur covering the beast instantly changed from brown to gold, his eyes became teal... and he spoke.

"You are a monster. You have taken my son from me, not once, but twice. You have wiped out an entire race of people so that this day might never come. I..." The ape shrank rapidly down to a normal size person. After only a few seconds, Goku stood before Frieza, his golden hair, standing straight up. "...Will never forgive you!"

Krillin, barely consious, couldn't believe his ears. Goku's motto was that everyone deserved a second chance. And here he was, condemning Frieza. This was not like him at all.

Goku stared into the pleading eyes of his foe, his victim, and growled. A deep reverbrating growl echoed through the mountains as the protector of Earth pulled back his fist. Frieza swore, that just before the fist connected, he could see a golden dragon filling his vision. Frieza was dead instantly. Goku turned to his fallen allies, his aura a golden sun to their weary eyes. His hair dropped back to normal positioning, changing back to black in an instant. His eyes remained teal for a full second afterward, taking in the damage that had been caused by the purely evil creature. The battle was over now... All that was left, was to pick up the pieces. 


	40. Peace at Last

Peace at Last 

Goku held out a hand, pointed at the ground. He blasted a large hole, and buried Vegeta in it. As he pat the dirt into place over the corpse, he siad his thanks.

"You did a brave thing. If not for you I wouldn't have been able to win. Useing the dragon to keep throwing fighters at him, that was pretty smart. And don't think I don't know about you reviving my son. For all that you have done, I promise that we will revive you as soon as possible." He stood and dusted his hands off. "Thank you... My friend."

He turned around and looked at his friends. For several minutes no one spoke. The silence was interrupted only by a half consious Krillin. Goku looked at him curiously and the little monk laughed louder.

"Are you okay Krillin?" Tien asked his friend.

"G, Goku..." a fit of giggles overcame him. "He's... Naked!"

Goku looked down at his nude physique and laughed. "I guess I am. I wonder what happened to my clothes."

Yamcha smiled at him. "You turned into a ten story monkey. What do you think happened to them?"

"Oh, right. I guess I better go get some new ones."

Tien looked around at everyone. About half of them could make it back to the healing tank on their own. He helped Krillin to his feet and walked him to Goku. "I'll go see about the dragon. I don't know why, but it's still there. You take Krillin here and get to Demas' ship. Everybody else, grab someone who isn't moving and take them with you." The three eyed warrior lifted into the air and flew away.

As he neared the Dragon, he could see five green men standing around its base. He landed and asked about the dragon. They told him of their deal with Vegeta. "So this dragon grants three wishes? That's useful. You wouldn't, by any chance, have a third wish in mind already, would you?"

"Yes we do. Why do you ask?"

"Well, the guy you made the deal with... Died during the fight. We won, but he's gone. And my friend, Goku, wants to wish him back. But our dragon won't be useable for another 362 days."

"I am sorry for your loss. We can always fly that ship home instead of wishing it. I will ask the dragon to bring your friend back."

Thirty seconds later, a very angry Vegeta materialized in front of them. "Where am I? Send me back!"

"Whoa Vegeta, you're back on Earth. We wished you back."

"Why? You said the last wish was going to send you home."

"They said it would be better to give you back your life. They can fly the ship home."

"I was talking to my father..."

"Oh, I didn't know."

"How could you have? Is Frieza dead? I didn't see him in Hell."

"Yeah, he's dead. Goku got him."

"Yes, the Super Saiyan. I can't believe the son of a low-level soldier is the legendary Super Saiyan. It should have been me... I'll just have to figure out how he did it, so I can as well."

"Now you're starting to sound like yourself. Let's go see how the others are doing."

------------------------

The Namekians flew home on their ship. The Dragonballs, having completed their job, flew across the universe to return to their planet. Demas and Orion took apart their ships and made a training area in a cave not far from South City. Demas never could figure out the cryptic words of the old man he had been sent to see. The two Wildfires spent the next year in near seclusion, only leaving their home for food.

The Saiyan trio, at Goku's request, moved into the spacious Capsule Corp. building. There was a lot of empty space that they had converted into a training room. The three of them, along with Goku, Gohan, and Yamcha often trained together over the next year. Nappa even had a short fling with a bodybuilding woman at the local gym.

Chi-Chi never found out about Gohan's death. She was told however, about his courageous defense of the Earth. Though now more worried about his safety, she lessened his workload. He had already proven to be smarter than kids his age, and it was about time that she let her, now six year old, son have some fun. He made a lot of new friends in West City during his outings with his father. Goku stayed Goku, not letting his new power change him.

Krillin went back to the Kame house and Master Roshi. He also had a relationship during the next year, but it ended in heartbreak. Tien and Chiaotzu went up north, to a hidden temple, to train their minds. They felt that their bodies had had enough for a while. Yamcha returned to Capsule Corp. to be with his girlfriend and his old pal. After all that he had been through recently, he decided to finally clean out his desert base. He now officially lived two doors down the hall from Bulma. Puar didn't care where they lived, so long as he promised to quit making Bulma worry all the time.

The peaceful year was not lost on the Z Fighters. They soaked up every moment of their lives. Unfortunately, peace does not last. And the disturbances aren't always physical ones. Emotions will be frayed and friendships tested. Lives will be ruined, and gentle surprises wait around every turn. Because now, Bardock's Legacy will soon be reveiled to his descendants. Who will inherit the gift from the great Saiyan? One of his sons? His grandson? Only time will tell.

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A/N: This is the official end of the Frieza Saga. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope the next saga doesn't confuse you too much. I will be taking a break from this story until I finish my other DBZ story: Destined for Greatness. And maybe update a couple older stories as well.


	41. Ask Kami

A/N: This is where the story gets a bit confusing... Please bear with me, as it does start to make sense later.

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Ask Kami

Nappa's eyes shot open as he sat up. He felt stronger than he should have. He glanced over at the other two Saiyans in the room. After a late night training session, they had all collapsed on the floor of the training room. He shook his head and looked at the clock.

"I was only asleep for an hour and I'm at full strength already? That's odd." Suddenly his eyes glazed over and he stood. He slowly walked out of the room and down the hall.

Raditz sat up and rubbed his eyes. He saw Nappa's backside pass through the door. "Damnit Nappa." He mumbled. "We've only been sleeping for an hour and you wake me up. Where are you going?" Unable to contain his curiosity, he stood and followed. His body protested as he walked out of the room. He was exhausted, and not fully recovered from his fight. "I'm going to bash in his skull..."

Nappa turned a corner and ran into Bulma. She fell to the floor as he walked over her. Not fully awake, she couldn't muster the energy to protest. The large Saiyan's tail twitched as he walked out the front door. Something was calling to him, and he was going to answer. He lifted into the air and flew south-east.

Raditz turned a corner and spotted Bulma still sitting on the floor. She looked up at him with bleary eyes. She followed his slack jawed gaze to her crotch. Upon seeing that her shirt was not covering her completely, she quickly stood and gave him a slap in the face. She stormed off toward her room. Raditz smiled. "I have got to start roaming the halls at night..."

Raditz stepped outside and began concentrating. Goku had taught the Saiyans how to sense energy. They were extremely thankful since their scouters were long gone. He located Nappa's energy signal, which was stronger than it should have been after an hour of rest. "Where are you going?" He mumbled again as he flew toward his companion.

A few miles from Wildfire Cave, as it had come to be known, Nappa's energy spiked. Raditz increased his speed with much effort. Almost as quickly as it had risen, Nappa's energy seemed to vanish. By the time Raditz arrived on the scene, Demas and Orion were already there. The looked up at him as he descended.

"What happened?" Raditz demanded as he spotted what was left of Nappa's body.

Demas shook his head. "We felt his energy rise and came to investigate. We know about as much as you do."

Raditz's aura flared slightly as he stared at his fallen comrade. Who had killed him? And how did they do it without useing any energy? It wasn't long before the rest of the Z Fighters arrived. They all asked what had happened, and were all given the same answer. Raditz and Vegeta volunteered to search for Nappa's killer while everyone else went back to sleep. They would gather the Dragonballs in the morning.

When the group met up in the morning, Yamcha holding the Dragon Radar, there had been no success. In the daylight it became apparent to the others how tired the Saiyans were. Their bloodshot eyes and sagging arms were hard to miss. Despite his exhausted appearence though, Vegeta looked ready to kill anyone who even looked at him funny. Yamcha pointed everyone in the right directions and they had the Dragonballs within the hour.

They summoned the dragon and asked him to bring back Nappa. The dragon shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can not grant that wish. The one called Nappa is not dead."

"Not dead?! We saw his remains with our own eyes!" Vegeta screamed at the creature.

"His body is gone, that is true. His soul however, is still on this plane."

Everyone looked at one another, confused beyond belief. "How is that possible?" Raditz asked as they pondered what to wish for. After a few minutes, he asked the dragon a question. "If you were to bring us Nappa's soul... Would it kill him?"

"Only if you wish for just the soul. It can not survive without a vessel."

"Then we wish for you to bring Nappa's soul and it's current vessel to us."

"As you wish." The dragons eyes lit up as it granted their wish. After a few seconds a small bottle appeared at the base of the dragon. Having granted their wish, the dragon vanished and the Dragonballs scattered across the planet. Raditz bent down and picked up the bottle.

Inside the bottle was the smoky image of an Oozaru. It raged in it's prison, completely unaware of those staring at it. Raditz lowered the bottle from his eyes and turned to the others. "What should we do with him?"

"Let him out." Vegeta ordered.

"You heard the dragon." Goku told him. "He needs that bottle to live.

"He is in a fate worse than death right now. We'll just wish him back in a year."

Raditz nodded in agreement. "It pains me to see him like this. It must be a hundred times worse for him."

Tien held up a hand. "I have an idea." Everyone looked at him. "It's a long shot, but I may be able to pull it off."

"Spit it out." Vegeta demanded.

"If I can make telepathic contact with him, he can tell us what happened to him. Regardless of what we do with his soul, it could help us catch his attacker."

Vegeta smiled. "Do it."

Raditz handed the bottle to Tien. The three eyed warrior closed his third eye and stared at the ape. Everyone watched intently as he concentrated. Suddenly, his hands flew to his head, dropping the bottle. Raditz dove to catch the bottle but missed. Shattering to pieces, the bottle set its prisoner free. The roar of an Oozaru echoed for miles as Nappa was freed. For a split second Nappa appeared in his normal body, then he vanished.

Tien writhed in pain as he fell to his knees. With great effort, he managed to bring one hand away from his head. He started to write a message in the dirt. Several tense seconds went by as he tried to write. As he began to lose consiousness, he fell on top of the message. All that could be read was: FA--------------IMENT ASK KAMI.

"Did anybody see what he fell on?" Goku asked.

No one had seen it. But they had one definate answer. Somehow they had to contact Kami in otherworld. There was one person that they knew of who could arrange for meetings with the dead: Fortuneteller Baba.


	42. King Kai's Idea

King Kai's Idea 

"You want me to ask King Enma to let a soul return to Earth?" The small woman asked.

"Please Baba. Only for a short while. It is vital to the Earth's survival." Goku pleaded.

The woman grumbled as she turned away from the group. "I'll see what I can do. But know that it will probably be a short visit. Your grandfather only had a day when he was here."

"A day will be more than enough. Thank you Baba."

"Don't thank me, Enma hasn't agreed yet."

----------------------

It had been nearly a week since Tien's collapse. The three eyed man was under constant observation at Capsule Corp. Chiaotzu never left his side. As Goku landed on the front lawn he was greeted by an unexpected sight. He had come to check on Tien, but had found Baba and Kami waiting for him.

"I knew you would come through for us Baba."

"Yeah, yeah. Just remember, he has 24 hours. After that I have to take him back."

Kami nodded at Baba as she vanished. He smiled. "Let's take a walk."

As the two walked through the streets of the city, Kami watched Goku's thoughts flash like neon across his face. He may not be as vibrant as Kami remembered, but he still couldn't hide his emotions. For several minutes they just walked. By the time they had reached the edge of the city, Goku was ready to talk.

"I'm glad you're doing well, Kami."

"As I, you. But that is not why you asked me here."

"No, it isn't." Goku continued along the side of the road that lead out of the city. "About a week ago, someone was attacked. His body was destroyed, but his soul was trapped in a bottle." The Saiyan took a deep breath. "Tien tried to make telepathic contact with him, but it didn't go well. He suffered some kind of mental overload; At least that's what the doctors said. Before he collapsed, he wrote a message in the dirt. It said 'Fa-iment Ask Kami'. We didn't catch what it was before he fell on it. We were hoping that you might know since he mentioned you."

Kami stopped walking and put his hand on his chin. "Fa-iment?" He tried to imagine the space of a Human body between the letters. "Iment could be the end of the word 'Experiment'. I don't know of any other Human word that matches. But..." He furrowed his brow. "...If the last word was 'Experiment', then the first word points to 'Fathers'."

"Fathers experiment? What does that mean?"

"It was a long time ago... There is a race of people called the, what was it, Terranians. There were three who disliked the current government and tried to overthrow it. They used science to genetically alter themselves. Their power skyrocketed beyond normal levels, almost allowing them to win. But it was not to be. As punishment for their crimes, they were sent into the vacuum of space without any protection."

"How awful..."

"Yes, but that isn't the end of the story. The Fathers, as they came to be known, had survived. They had seen the possibility of their loss and altered their lungs to recycle their own breath... Essentially, they could breath in space. They moved to an uninhabited planet and began experimenting with destructive forces. They eventually created a being of great destructive force. I do not know much about their creations, but I do know that the first one ignored their orders and hid from them. The second was said to have killed them before rampaging through the universe."

"So the second guy is the attacker?"

"No. The second experiment was captured by the Kais. So long as the Kais are alive, he can not escape his prison. But if another experiment is on the loose, then one of the Fathers may yet be alive."

Both men stared at the ground for several seconds. In the dimension known as Other World, King Kai listened to the conversation. He recalled the rampage of the second experiment. He remembered putting aside his petty fueds with the other Kais to trap him in another dimension that he could not escape from. He used his telepathic abilities to contact his pupil.

'Goku, Kami?"

"King Kai?" Goku asked as he looked around.

'Yes, it's me. I recall the struggle that Kami speaks of, but he is missing some valuable data.'

"Please Master Kai, give us any information that you know of." Kami asked the sky.

'Listen up. I remember the fight against the one who called himself Bojak. I remember everything ever revealed to me. He bragged about his prisoners who had cloned a portion of his power and created him a "daughter" of sorts. I believe that the prisoners he spoke of were, in fact, his creators. The Fathers were not killed, at least not all of them. Bojak needed them to grow. That was one of his flaws.'

"So they do still exist. This is a real threat."

'Yes, but it is not as bad as it may seem. After learning of Bojak's dependance on the Fathers, we sent heroes after them. They managed to kill two of them. The surviving heroes also reported that after each father died, their equipment lost significant power. I think that only one of them can not produce monsters the likes of Bojak. You will not face a threat as powerful as him. Goku and his friends should have no problem dealing with this new threat.'

"But King Kai, did you see what happened to Nappa?" Goku asked.

'Unfortunately I did not. I did however see the release of his soul. That is something to watch out for. But I believe that with Kami's help in locating the new threat, you should be able to stop it.'

"What makes you think I can locate this new fighter?" Kami asked as he continued to look around.

'Because Kami, you have seen one already. You could help recognize the new one. It is a long shot, but if Goku wishes you back in one year, then you could be of great help.'

"I have no recollection of this Bojak. I only know of the story."

'Not Bojak. Try to think Kami. Before you were Guardian of Earth, a woman tried to seduce you.' Kami's cheeks darkened severely. 'She is what pushed your dark side to its limits. She was what made you decide that you could not be happy as you were. So you split yourself to negate her charms. With you no longer attracted to her, and King Piccolo not having time to deal with her, she left Earth. I think that if you and Piccolo Jr. were to join together again, you might be able to remember the feeling she radiated.'

"I am not sure that young Piccolo would allow that. But if Goku is willing to wish me back, then I will give it a try."

"Of course I'll wish you back... If it will help us stop this new threat."

"That is not guaranteed, but I will arrange to speak with Piccolo. If he agrees, then I will have a message relayed to you through Likab. If you have not heard from me in one year, then go ahead and wish your friend back. I will do everything I can from my end until then."

Goku nodded and bowed. He respected this man's mind as much as King Kai's martial arts skills. Every time he found a new obstacle, someone came along to help him pass it. In one year he would be able to find Nappa's killer. Nappa wouldn't mind waiting another year if it meant he wouldn't have to be trapped in a bottle again. 


	43. Piccolo's Back!

Piccolo's Back!

Goku finished telling the others of his conversation. Demas smiled and Goku looked at him curiously.

"That old coot, he mentioned this."

"What? Old coot?"

"Oh right. I guess I never explained that to you guys. When I made that wish on the Dragonballs, I was sent... Somewhere. This crazy old man kept saying weird things to me the whole time. I don't understand any of it, but one of them seems to be referring to now. He said 'You are stronger than the last, the Kais can't stop you'. I think he might have been talking about this Bojak guy."

"So he told you that you were stronger than Bojak? That's good."

"No, I think he may have been talking to the new guy... If that makes any sense."

"Not really," Yamcha laughed. "but none of this does."

"Demas, what else did he say?" Goku asked hopefully. "Can we stop this guy?"

"I'm not sure. I can try and see if anything else he said makes sense. I made a list."

"Good. So Demas can try to decipher the messages. Everybody else, it's time to train."

And so preperations began. For a year they trained. Demas and Orion spent the entire year trying to figure out the cryptic clues given to them. They tossed around ideas while they trained, and neither got much sleep. When the time came, the group gathered the Dragonballs and met up at the Lookout. Goku asked Likab if he had been contacted, and he had. Piccolo had agreed to the merger under the condition that he get to fight Goku again.

Raditz laughed. "I don't think that will be much of a fight. Kakarot could blink and kill that weakling."

They summoned the dragon and made their wish. A few seconds later Kami and Piccolo stood side by side. Piccolo smiled at Goku.

"Hello Goku. Once Kami and I reunite, you won't stand a chance against me. Are you ready Kami?"

"Hold on Piccolo." Goku said as he stepped toward the green warrior. "We're kind of in the middle of something at the moment."

"We had an agreement." Piccolo grabbed Kami by the collar.

"Calm down. I only meant that we should wait until the next tournament. I think there is one in a few months. This way you'll have time to train."

"What makes you think I need to train more?"

Goku flared his aura to its maximum. Piccolo stood dumbfounded as Kami smiled. He turned to Piccolo and held out his hand.

"We will merge and your body will become my new vessel, because you are the stronger of us. I must ask that you help Goku and his friends find this new threat to the Earth. After that, I will not ask you for anything."

Piccolo smiled. He liked the idea of not having Kami as a thorn in his side. "Agreed." He took Kami's hand and everyone watched in amazement as a bright light enveloped them. The two became one in a matter of seconds. Kami had been right about the body. Piccolo smiled at the others and raised his power to its new maximum.

Vegeta laughed. "Impressive... If you were an insect."

"What?!"

Vegeta raised his own power. "If you want a shot at Kakarot, you'll have to beat me first."

Piccolo registered the strength in the back of his mind and smiled evily at Vegeta. "I'll see you at the tournament."

-----------------------

A few days later, Tien made a full recovery and began his training anew. They were now preparing for a fight they knew was unavoidable.

------------------------

Three months later...

Vegeta rose from the bed and began dressing. Bulma sat up and stared longingly at the back of him.

"You're not leaving already, are you?" She asked him. "I thought we might..."

"Listen woman, I am not here to 'cuddle' as humans call it. This visit was to satisfy my physical needs. I have no interest in you what-so-ever." The Saiyan pulled on his boots and walked out the door.

Bulma stared after him for several seconds. She had been fooled into thinking that he cared for her, into giving him what he wanted. She was an idiot to think he cared for her more than Yamcha. And now she might lose him too. Bulma made up her mind; she would go after Vegeta and keep him from talking. She stood and quickly put on an oversized night shirt.

Vegeta could hear the woman running after him. He was done with her, but she was persistant. He turned to her. "Listen woman..."

"No, you listen." She interrupted. "You won't tell anyone about what just happened." She pushed her finger into his chest. "Do you understand?"

"Do you expect me shout my conquest to the heavens?"

"Conquest? You didn't take anything, I gave it to you!"

"Yes, you did. But why then, do you want to hide it?" An evil smirk crossed his lips. "That weakling that hangs on your arm... Are you afraid he might stop being your slave if he knew?"

"Yamcha is not my slave!"

"Delusions... But regardless, I will tell no one. If I did, they might try to stop us next time."

"Excuse me? There won't be a next time, buddy."

"Fine then. I have seen several suitable outlets for my needs on this planet, some much more attractive than you." The Saiyan prince turned and continued his walk away from her.

Bulma told herself that he was only trying to get her to want him again. She would not fall for his decietful ways again. 


	44. Dirty Little Secret

Dirty Little Secret 

Yamcha was ecstatic. He had just recieved the news that Bulma was pregnant. She seemed aprehensive about telling him, but he couldn't figure out why. He was going to be a dad. He knew it was silly to form an oppinion based on one experience, but he had thought about kids ever since his short time spent with Gohan. He knew that his kid might not want to follow in his footsteps as a fighter, and he surely didn't want it to become a bandit, but he would still be the happiest guy on Earth.

Bulma watched Yamcha dancing about after the news. He seemed so happy. Maybe the doctor was wrong, maybe Yamcha was the father. The date of conception pointed elsewhere, but she couldn't say anything to Yamcha until she was sure. Maybe she wouldn't have to; Yamcha would have no way of knowing either way, so why worry. She just had to keep her spirits up.

"And here I thought you were just putting on a few pounds." Yamcha laughed as she smiled at him.

Bulma stopped herself from yelling at him. It was a happy day. "Well thanks for not mentioning it."

"Are you kidding? I love ya babe. Even if you gained a hundred pounds, I'd still love you."

She nearly came to tears. It wasn't the best way to say it, but it was a nice thought. He would always love her. That was enough to ease her fears.

That evening, as he trained with Vegeta and Raditz, he let the news out. "You guys will never believe this." He said as he dodged a kick to the head. "I'm going to be a dad!"

Vegeta stopped cold. Raditz's fist connected with his gut and he fell to the floor. As he got up, he grabbed Yamcha's shoulders. "Why would you say such a ridiculous thing?"

"Bulma's pregnant. I am her boyfriend after all."

Vegeta checked his excitement at having a possible heir. He smirked at the former bandit. "I wasn't aware anyone could stomach touching that woman."

Yamcha flared his aura and attacked Vegeta. Raditz stepped back and laughed to himself as they fought. He personally thought that Earth women were pretty attractive... But Vegeta always had enjoyed tormenting Yamcha. It was always interesting training with those two.

------------------------

Five days later, the World Martial Arts Tournament was held. After some very painful preliminary matches, the final eight fighters were chosen. They were as follows: Goku vs Tien, Joseph vs Orion, Piccolo vs Krillin, and Vegeta vs Yamcha. Demas was still concentrating on the riddles and opted to sit the tournament out this time. Gohan, Raditz, and Chiaotzu were eliminated in the preliminaries.

After a good night's rest, the fighters got to show the world what they were made of. As the audience filed into their seats, the announcer shouted his welcome.

"Good morning everyone! Today we have a real treat for you! Some of you may remember the old tournaments... Well, our first match of the day is between two former champions! Prepare to be on the edge of your seat as Goku fights Tien in a battle to reclaim the championship!"

Goku and Tien walked out to the ring and shook hands. "Good luck." Goku said as they dropped into their stances. Tien just smiled and crossed his arms in front of him.

"Ready... Fight!"

Goku launched at Tien and kicked the three eyed warrior in the head. Tien took the blow and continued splitting in two. The two Tiens began relentlessly attacking Goku. Goku blocked what he could and retaliated with his own punches and kicks. After a few minutes the three seperated. One Tien formed his hands into a triangle as the other flew back toward Goku. Goku dodged the kick that was thrown at him, and pulled his hands to his side.

"Kame... Hame..." He blocked another kick with his own foot. "HA!"

The beam intercepted Tien's Tri-Beam. The two push back and forth for a few seconds, but Goku won out. The Kamehameha washed over the psychic with incredible force. The second Tien punched Goku in the gut, stopping the attack. Goku turned and threw a flurry of punches at his opponent. As the two exchanged blows, the first Tien slowly stood. He limped over to the others and threw a punch at Goku.

Goku dodged and the two Tiens hit each other, merging back into one. The reunited warrior turned and smiled at Goku. "Shall we start?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

Both fighters powered up to their maximums. Tien ran at Goku, taking ring tiles with him. Goku jumped into the air and spun around. Tien stopped just short of the edge and turned to face his opponent. He brought both hands to his sides and ran again. Goku jumped again, but was grabbed by Tien and thrown to the ground. Tien started pounding Goku mercilessly.

Goku rolled to the side and flipped into a standing position. He grabbed Tien's arm and threw him to the other side of the ring. The two flew at each other again. They each threw a flurry of punches at each other, all of them hitting at the same time. The crowd watched in awe as each fighter struck the other's knuckles. This fight was the best any of them had seen in years.

One of the audience members sat with his arm in a sling. "You get him Goku!" The man yelled, his afro wobbling with excitement. "Get revenge on that three eyed freak for me!"

Next to the man sat a little girl of eight. She looked up at him, brushing her black hair out of her face. "Oh dad..."

Goku fell to the tile from a well placed punch. He landed on his butt and slid his foot behind Tien's. Tien tripped backward and gave Goku an opening. Goku leapt up and punched. Tien was hit square in the chest and tumbled onto his back. As he tried to stand, Goku kneed him in the gut and sent him reeling back again.

Tien's foot landed half on the ring, and half off. He lost his balance and fell. He used his energy to catch himself an inch above the ground... Until Goku jumped on top of him. His back hit the grass and he let out a lungful of air. The announcer made the call and Goku hopped off of his friend. He helped him up and they walked back to the waiting area.

In the stands Gohan smiled at his father's victory. He also smiled as the cute girl and her dorky father cheered. They already knew that his dad was going to win. 'I just wish they could've seen me fight.' He thought as he stared at the girl.

The announcer let everyone know that the second match was starting. Orion stepped into the ring and laughed at his opponent. The guy had been lucky enough to not have any of the Z Fighters in his prelim bracket. But now he was in big trouble. The man stepped into the ring and flexed his large muscles. He stuck out his hand for Orion to shake.

Orion went to shake his hand, but the man pulled it back with a laugh and a lude gesture. Orion frowned. 'I was going to give the people a show, but he's asking for it.'

"Fight!"

Joseph just stood there laughing. "This scrawny kid couldn't touch me. I hope I don't hurt him."

Orion calmly walked forward and flicked the man on the forehead. Joseph flew out of the ring and crashed through the wall seperating them and the audience. Everyone gasped as the man passed out.

"I guess that makes Orion the winner." The announcer said quietly. He looked over at the rubble. "Can we get a medic out here?" 


	45. More of Them?

More of them?

Piccolo gave Goku a knowing look as he stepped out into the ring. Krillin shot a nervous glance at Goku. Sure he wasn't too worried about the strength, they were pretty close in power, but he knew Piccolo to be ruthless. This wasn't going to be a pleasent fight.

"Maybe I should just give up..." He muttered as he walked out.

"You'll do fine." Goku said as he slapped him on the back.

Krillin shook his head and wondered how Goku could be so positive all the time. Without realizing it, Krillin stepped into the ring. His mind was so preoccupied that he didn't hear the start of the fight. The double kidney punch brought him back to reality. He doubled over and fell to his knees.

"I hope Goku's stronger than you, otherwise it won't be any fun killing him."

Krillin was mad. He had been sucker-punched... And in the kidneys. He was in serious pain now. He bit back a response to the taunt and stood. He dropped into his fighting stance and launched at Piccolo. Piccolo blocked the first punch and was hit by the second. He didn't let it phase him as he performed another kidney punch. Krillin stumbled but caught himself. Piccolo followed up with three more punches to the region.

Krillin fell to the ground in pain. The announcer began counting, getting to nine before the monk rose. He stood shakily and dropped back into his fighting stance. Piccolo charged energy into his open hand and closed it quickly. He threw a punch at Krillin. The small man dodged to the left and kicked his adversary in the gut. Piccolo bent forward as he was hit and swung his arm around for another try. Krillin threw up his arms to block and was shocked to feel the energy surge through his body.

Krillin held up his hand and stopped Piccolo from charging energy again. "Wait Piccolo. I give up."

"What? What kind of fighter gives up?"

"The kind who just had his kidneys pummeled. If you hit me again, I might wet myself."

The announcer stared in disbelief. "I guess that settles that. The winner is..." Piccolo hit Krillin in the kidney again. "Majunior!"

Piccolo laughed at the fallen monk, squeezing his legs together. As he entered the waiting area Goku stopped him.

"That was uncalled for. He gave up."

"The match wasn't over yet when I hit him. Besides, look at him... It's hilarious."

Vegeta laughed at Krillin struggling toward them and caught Piccolo's eye. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad. In fact, he reminded the Saiyan prince of himself.

"Will Vegeta and Yamcha please enter the ring!" The announcer shouted.

"Come on... Dad." Vegeta laughed as he entered the ring.

Yamcha's face got red as he ran out. He stepped into the ring and readied himself. Vegeta laughed again and stood with his arms crossed.

"It looks like we have another overconfident contestant." The announcer said over the crowd. "We all remember what happened to the last one... Anyway, let's start this fight!"

Vegeta scoffed the announcer and waited patiently. Yamcha flared his aura and began his trademark Wolf Fang Fist. Vegeta dodged a couple blows and swept Yamcha's feet out from underneath him. He stomped his boot down on the former bandit and delighted in seeing him cringe in pain.

"Get up. I want to have some fun before I beat the hell out of you."

Yamcha stood and kicked Vegeta in the side. The Saiyan grabbed the foot and threw him across the ring. He threw a small blast at him. Yamcha fell to the ring with a thud as he was hit.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of North City...

A large saucer-like ship landed on the planet. The hatch opened and two very angry men stepped out. One looked similiar to Frieza in his second form, the other resembled the tyrant in his final form. The smaller of the two turned to the other.

"My scouter is picking up some large power levels. Shall we go avenge my brother?"

"Yes Cooler, we shall."

Back at the tournament...

Yamcha punched Vegeta in the gut and then in the face. Vegeta stumbled back and steadied himself. He was having fun at last. He pulled back his fist and stopped. He could feel Frieza's power. But it couldn't be, he had been assured that the tyrant was dead. Yamcha braced himself for the hit, then turned as he too sensed it. The crowd stared in confusion as the two fighters began to converse.

"What is that?" Yamcha asked.

"It feels like Frieza... But that isn't possible." The owner of the mysterious energy became visible on the horizon. "No... Cooler."

"Frieza's brother?"

"Yes. And he has brought someone else with him. This is not good."

Goku and the others all made their way to the ring. The announcer shouted at them to stop. "If you interrupt the match, both fighters will be disqualified."

"We have bigger problems." Orion said as they converged on the ring.

The small girl looked up at her father. "How come they're all getting in the ring daddy?"

"I'm not sure Videl. It must be some kind of half-time show or something."

Cooler and his ally landed in the ring. "I wonder which one killed him." He said as he looked everyone over.

"Why don't you just ask?"

"Of course father. How silly of me." Cooler looked at Vegeta and smiled. "Well, I know it wasn't you. But perhaps you could tell me who killed my brother, Vegeta."

Vegeta shook his fist at the two aliens. "What makes you think it wasn't me?!"

"Because you are a Saiyan... And Saiyans are weak."

"For your information buddy," Yamcha thrust his finger into Cooler's chest. "Goku is the one who killed Frieza. And Goku is a Saiyan too."

Krillin grabbed Yamcha's hand and pulled it down. "Don't poke the evil alien."

"I find it hard to believe that a Saiyan could harm Frieza, but I'll play along. Where is this 'Goku'?"

"I'm him." Goku stepped forward. "If you want to fight me, that's fine. But we do it away from innocent people."

"So, shall I get rid of the innocents?" Cooler said with a grin.

"No. We'll fly to a less populated area. That is, if you want to fight me."

"Agreed. Lead on... Monkey." 


	46. Cooler's Revenge

Cooler's Revenge 

"How much farther?" Cooler asked as the group flew.

"Just to those mountains." Goku answered. "I want to make sure we're far enough from people."

They landed on a small mountain and stared each other down. Vegeta made a move to attack, but was stopped.

"No Vegeta, he's after me. I'll fight him on my own."

Cooler checked his scouter and scoffed at Goku's power level. "After I kill you, someone is going to tell me who really killed Frieza."

"I think you'll be surprised at how much of a challenge I can be."

"Well, he's definately got Saiyan pride." Vegeta laughed as he relaxed.

"Before we get started, I gotta know... Who are you guys, other than friends of Frieza?"

"I am his older brother Cooler. And this," He pointed to his father. "is my father, King Cold."

"How about we make this a one-on-one fight."

"As if I would need help..."

"Then we're agreed? No one attacks anyone else while we fight."

"Of course. My father will make sure your friends do not interfere."

"All right then, let's get started."

The two squared off as the others watched. Cooler calmly waited as Goku stared him down. The scouters worn by Cooler and King Cold suddenly began to beep rapidly as the numbers on them rose. Cooler's eyes widened as they exploded.

"It seems that you are stronger than I thought. You obviously exceed the scouter's maximum range. I would however, like to know how you hid your true power from me."

"I'll tell you after I win."

Goku smiled as a faint red aura whipped around him. He launched himself at Cooler and punched him in the face. Cooler slid back five feet, but did not flinch. Cooler snapped his tail in anticipation and threw his own punch. Goku was hit in the gut with the force of a train. He doubled over and was kicked in the face.

Piccolo tensed as Goku landed on his back. He wanted to kill Goku, but it looked as if he would lose his chance. As the Namekian clenched his fists, Vegeta stared in wonder. Why wasn't Kakarot transforming? He had to know that Cooler was stronger than him, even with the Kaioken technique.

Goku leapt back and a kick grazed his arm. He threw a set of punches at Cooler. Both were blocked. The two began to punch each other rapidly. After nearly two minutes of punches, all of them connecting with their targets, the two fighters jumped apart. Goku panted heavily as he wiped blood from his lip. Cooler's breathing was heavier as well as he smiled at his opponent.

"Perhaps you did kill my brother... But I am much tougher than he was."

Goku chuckled. "I can see that." He glanced at his friends. "Promise me something..."

"Excuse me? You're asking me for a favor?"

"If I lose... You won't hurt anyone else here. Promise that you'll leave this planet alone."

"If, in fact, you are the one who killed Frieza, then you are all I am after."

"Then let's continue our fight."

They closed the gap between them and continued their match. Gohan tensed as his father was knocked to the ground. He took a step forward as another blow was landed. Yamcha placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. Goku had asked them not to interfere, and they would respect his wishes as long as he was able to fight. Gohan looked on as his father was slowly beaten down.

Vegeta couldn't take it anymore. "Kakarot, why do you not transform?!"

Goku dodged a kick from Cooler and replied. "Don't you think I thought of that? I haven't been able to do it since the fight with Frieza."

Realization dawned on the others. Goku couldn't become a Super Saiyan... He might lose. Gohan wasn't about to take the risk. He pulled from Yamcha's grasp and flew at Cooler. King Cold stepped in front of him and punched him in the gut. Gohan flew backward into the others.

"Your friend made it very clear that he wanted you out of this fight. I won't let you interfere."

"Daddy..." Gohan stood back up and launched an attack against King Cold.

The others stared on as Gohan beat down his opponent. Several minutes went by before King Cold retaliated. He grabbed Gohan by the head and threw him toward his friends.

"I suggest you hold on to that kid, before I hurt him."

Goku looked over at his son's rising form. "Gohan, stay back!"

The boy did as he was told, anger burning through him. Goku punched Cooler in the chest and jumped back. Without the ability to transform, he might not win a one-on-one fight. He had one last chance to win without bringing in the others. He raised both of his hands to the sky, palm up.

Cooler laughed. "Are you giving up?"

"Not quite. I thought I'd show you something I learned a couple years ago."

"I don't really have a lot of time for your antics. If you will not fight anymore, I'll kill you now."

Cooler rushed at Goku and kicked him in the chest. Goku stumbled backward, but did not lower his arms. Cooler threw a volley of punches at Goku, severely damaging the warrior.

Tien stared in wonder. "What is Goku doing?"

"I don't know." Yamcha answered. "It doesn't look like he's gonna last much longer though. We have to help him."

King Cold smiled. "Go on, try. I'll kill you before you can even get to him."

Yamcha looked around. "Hey Vegeta..."

"What is it?"

"This guy doesn't feel any stronger than you. If Gohan will share, you could take him."

Vegeta laughed and looked down at Gohan. "What do you say kid, wanna help me kill this guy?"

Gohan smiled as he stared down King Cold. "If you ask nice, I might save some for you."

Gohan flew at King Cold and began attacking. Vegeta laughed again and calmly walked toward them. Yamcha looked at the others.

"Well guys..." A faint red aura enveloped him. "Whatever Goku's planning is gonna take some time."

Raditz smiled. "So let's buy him some time." 


	47. Stronger than the Sun

Stronger than the Sun 

Cooler pulled back his fist and was hit by Yamcha's boot. He righted himself and saw three men standing between him and his victim. He growled as the three began to advance on him.

"Your friends broke the agreement Saiyan! Now I am going to destroy your entire planet!"

Goku frowned as he continued to gather energy. "What are you guys doing? I have it under control."

Orion turned and smiled. "We're buying you time for that thing." He said as he pointed to the white ball in the sky. "We'll be fine, don't worry."

Yamcha, Raditz, and Orion all began punching Cooler. The evil man blocked their punches and threw a few of his own. He was stronger than any one of his opponents, but three at once was hard to do. He wsn't going to have any time for Goku until he took them out.

King Cold's fight with Gohan was almost even. He and the small boy were trading blows at an incredible pace. Vegeta smiled as he watched them fight. 'I had no idea the kid could move so fast. Kakarot has taught him more than I had realized during our seperation.'

Gohan kicked King Cold in the head and pulled both of his hands over his head. "Masenko... HA!"

Yamcha turned to see a large yellow beam erupt from his pupil's hands. He smiled as he was thrown backward. The kid had finally named his attack. 'I knew he'd come around.' Yamcha recovered and began atttacking Cooler again.

Raditz took a punch to the face and kneed his foe in the gut. Yamcha snuck around behind Cooler and grabbed his arms, squeezing them to his body. Cooler grunted and pulled his arms free just as he was kicked by Orion. He raised his right fore-finger and gathered energy at the tip.

He laughed as an enormous ball grew in seconds. "You failed to realize, I am not my brother. I can gather energy much faster than him." He threw the ball at Orion, pushing the Wildfire to the ground. Yamcha and Raditz attacked with full force as Cooler pushed his attack toward the Earth.

Demas arrived in time to see Orion take the hit. He was ready to fight, but noticed that the ball of energy was slowing down. He smiled and glanced at Goku's attack. Goku smiled up at him and turned his gaze to Cooler. Demas got the idea and rushed down to grab the other two. He grabbed Raditz by the hair and motioned for Yamcha to move.

The three flew away as Goku's attack started to slowly make its way to the Earth from the upper atmosphere. Yamcha powered down as he watched the ball start to pick up speed. Cooler, oblivious to what was headed toward him, continued his assault on Orion.

Cooler's attack stopped completely as he felt the energy inches away from his back. He turned and stared in horror at the attack that was too big to see around. He raised his hands to stop the attack, but could only slow it. It pressed him into the ground with incredible force. Demas smiled as the Earth shook. The attack was the strongest it had ever felt. The attack fizzled out after sinking a few feet into the ground.

Goku powered down. "That was the Spirit Bomb. I hope you liked it."

Yamcha laughed, then turned serious as Orion's energy ceased. Everyone turned to see the large ball of energy still inches away from the ground. Demas raised his aura and flew at the ball. Inches away from it, he watched as the ball flew into space. He looked down where Orion should be and gasped. It was her... Danielle. Demas stared in disbelief at the Wildfire woman. Where had she come from, and where was Orion?

Danielle stared up at Demas. She smiled and floated up to eye level. "Hello there. Long time, no see."

"How..."

"It's not too hard to figure out. The dragon already told you I was a part of him."

Demas stared into her eyes and was shocked to see Orion, struggling just beneath the surface. "You saved him then?"

"I've done much more than that."

Piccolo looked as if he was ready to jump the woman. "Her..."

"Huh? You know her?" Krillin asked.

"That is the woman we seek. The experiment."

Krillin's mouth fell open. They had been searching for this woman, and she had been under their noses the whole time? This was getting weird. The small monk was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard a grunt of pain. He turned to see King Cold fall to the ground, lifeless. Vegeta stood with his hand outstretched, Gohan panting next to him.

For a moment, everyone stared at Danielle. Demas opened his mouth to talk again, but was cut off by the tremendous power rising behind him. Everyone turned to see Cooler standing in the mini crater, his aura flaring wildly. The evil alien's body began to grow. Five spikes fanned out of the top of his head. What looked like a piece of armor covered his mouth. Krillin kept expecting claws to sprout from the backs of his hands.

"That was an impressive attack." The newly transformed Cooler said. "The problem is... I'm still alive. And I do not intend to make the same mistake."

Danielle flew up to the man's face and punched him in the nose. He flew backward and righted himself. She pointed at him. "I am in the middle of something here, and you're getting in my way."

"Why you insolent whelp!"

Cooler flew at her and punched empty air. The woman appeared behind him and kicked him in the back of the head. She flew after him and grabbed him by the neck. She threw him in the direction of the sun and turned to Goku.

"Would you do the honors?"

Goku nodded slowly and pulled both of his hands to his right side. A blue orb erupted in his hands and he fired his Kamehameha at Cooler's flying body. Danielle shook her head and threw a tiny -the size of a ladybug- orb at Cooler. It collided with the beam and everyone watched in amazement as the beam grew to twice its size. Cooler was pushed into the sun.

Everyone stared in disbelief. No one had felt any energy emenating from the woman until the tiny orb. And that orb felt more powerful that ten suns. Danielle turned to the others and laughed.

"I guess I have some explaining to do." 


	48. Explanations

Explanations 

Danielle rolled her eyes as Piccolo yelled at her. "You seduced my father, killed their friend, and you show up expecting us to just accept you?!"

"Wait a minute..." Demas held up a hand. "How could she have seduced your father?"

Danielle smiled. "You want details?"

"No. I meant that I was told Kami had been seduced before he became Guardian, which was before you were born."

"You question me?" Piccolo raged.

"Hold it green jeans." Danielle laughed as he blushed. "I can explain. I am technically older than Kami. I was created a long time ago as a weapon. Too bad for dear old daddies, I had a mind of my own. I told them where to put it and left. I found myself on Wildfire back when it was still seperated, and I stayed put. When it was time for my adopted persona to die, I left for a while. That's when I met Kami."

Piccolo stepped toward her, but was stopped by Demas. "Let her finish."

"We had a few good laughs, among other things, and he split himself. Well then he wouldn't give me the time of day, so I left."

"And you came back to Wildfire?"

"Not at first... I let a few generations pass first. I had a few good tussles with weapon number two... And that half clone of his. I helped him find a couple good gang members and he agreed to leave me alone. So when I got word he was headed to Wildfire, I got there first. He left it alone so I wouldn't kick his ass again, and I started anew. I renewed my body to look like an infant, and let some nice people adopt me. I met Orion in the army and we got together. But it was you that caught my interest."

Demas looked around and realized she was talking to him. "What are you talking about?"

"Your heritage is very interesting. You are a pure blooded Wildfire, like Orion, but you're different. You have 'Experiment' written all over you. I can see it."

"I'm not an experiment."

"That you know of... Another interesting tidbit. I surmise that you were an unsuccesful test. An attempt to create a weapon that would follow orders. Of course, after I met you, I tried to get closer to you. Something in your programming didn't like that, and I lost my body. In order to stay close to you, I decided to bunk with Orion. I can vouch that you don't know how to follow orders."

"Alright, that explains why you're in Orion. And I'm sure Demas has some more questions for you, but I have a more important one." Goku shifted uneasily as he talked. "Why did you kill Nappa?"

"The bald guy? He attacked me. He had this really hollow look in his eyes when he got to the cave. Orion had been out for some air and Nappa landed in front of him. The guy swung and Orion was out cold... Didn't even realize what had happened. I stepped in when the brute started transforming into a giant monkey. I was scared that he might hurt Orion, so I stopped him."

"But why trap his soul? Why not just kill him? We know you have the power."

"That was a calculated move to get you guys thinking. I let a portion of my mind into his to give you a clue. I read his mind, learned of the psychics, and decided it was the best way to do it. I was forced back into Orion's body as he woke up. I didn't have a lot of time. I just wish it hadn't taken so loing for me to come back. Speaking of which... Orion's coming around now. If you want to talk to me again, just try to kill him."

Everyone stared as she faded from existence and was replaced by Orion. He looked around at his friends. "What?"

----------------------

The story had been explained to Orion, who didn't remember a thing, and the group went back to the Lookout. They asked Likab, as well as King Kai, if they could talk to Nappa without bringing him to Earth. They didn't want to risk him attacking Orion again. King Kai used his telepathic powers to ask Nappa of the events. The Saiyan answered and it was relayed to Earth.

'He says that someone was calling him. He kept hearing someone say to kill his children.' King Kai said puzzled.

"The Fathers?" Demas asked.

'It could have been. If it was, anyone could become hypnotized again.'

"Not after we know. They wouldn't be foolish enough to attempt it while we're on the lookout. Especially after the last guy got killed."

'Speaking of which, Nappa has asked me to relay a request. He says not to bother wishing him back. He had a good life, and now he just wants to serve his king again.'

"Just like Nappa." Vegeta laughed.

'I'll be monitoring the Earth very carefully, along with Likab. If anything strange happens, we'll let you know. I suggest that you try to have halfway normal lives until then.'

"Agreed." Yamcha said. "I've got a kid coming."

"And Chi-Chi wants Gohan to keep studying." Goku added.

Everyone agreed to be wary, but not to let this new threat consume them. Of course Vegeta still trained night and day, but that was normal for him. The next eight months were peaceful. Most of them even forgot about the Fathers completely. And when the day came for Bulma to give birth, everyone gathered.

------------------------------------------

A/N: This is the end of the Cooler Saga. Next up the Android Saga!


	49. Natural Causes

Natural Causes

Yamcha stared in confusion at the newborn baby. "A tail? But how could he have a tail?"

Vegeta chuckled. "How do you think dimwit? You couldn't satisfy your woman so she sought pleasure elsewhere."

"Shut up Vegeta!" Bulma demanded.

Yamcha looked at his girlfriend, disdain in his eyes. "Is this true?"

"Yamcha... I..."

"And I thought I was going to be a father..."

"You are..."

"Hah! That isn't my kid." The ponytailed warrior seemed to stare beyond the woman he spoke to. "You made your bed, now you have to lye in it." He walked toward the door.

Vegeta smirked. "She already did, you just weren't there."

Yamcha let out a scream of pure hatred and punched Vegeta in the face. The Saiyan prince stumbled back into the wall, too shocked to do anything but bring his hand to his nose. Blood dripped onto the floor as Yamcha stormed out. Bulma watched the scene unfold around her as if in a dream. The last thing she remembered of the ordeal, was a serious pain in her chest.

"Ow..." She mumbled as darkness crept into her brain.

--

Yamcha stared out over the grassy plain. It had been several hours since his life had turned upside down. His girlfriend cheated on him, then lied to him about it. He hadn't been able to think straight since then. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to just explode. And for a man of his power, that could take a chunk of the Earth with him. He stared in silence, the beuaty of the scene lost on him.

Eventually, he had no idea how long it had been, Krillin sat down next to him. "How ya doin' buddy?"

"How do you think?"

"Lowsy." It wasn't a question. "I know you're mad. Hell, I can practically feel you're anger oozing from you. But you should come back."

"Why? There's nothing left for me there."

"There is. It doesn't matter what Vegeta says. That kid is yours."

"I don't know if you've noticed, but there are only three guys on this planet who have ever had a tail... And I'm not one of them."

"So he's not yours biologically. Who cares? Do you think Vegeta's gonna take care of him?"

"What do I care? Bulma can raise the kid by herself."

"Uh, Yamcha... There's something else we need to talk about."

"What?"

"Well, before the birth, Bulma named you the father on his birth certificate. Legally, you're his dad."

"So?"

"And after you left, Bulma kinda took it bad."

"Good, she deserves to hurt for what she did to me."

"You don't get it man. She went into Cardiac Arrest." Krillin looked into Yamcha's eyes. "She's dead Yamcha, and it was natural causes."

Yamcha stared into krillin's eyes. He was lying; he had to be. All of his anger, all of his hate, it was replaced by sadness. Sadness and pain. Tears welled in his eyes as his friend hugged him. She was gone, and there was no way she was coming back.

"Oh god, Krillin..." He cried for his lost love. "I did it. I killed her."

"Yamcha..."

"It was me..." Yamcha stared into the evening sky. He was all that kid had now. And the kid was all that he had of her. He would never let little Trunks out of his sight. He would be a father. 


	50. Saying Goodbye

Saying Goodbye

"Hey Krillin?"

"Yeah Yamcha?"

The two flew slowly to West City. "Do me a favor. Go to Capsule Corp and tell Puar to pack up the stuff. We aren't staying there anymore."

"Sure." Krillin flew closer to his friend. "What about Bulma's parents? They're gonna want to see their grandson."

"We'll visit. Right now though, Trunks needs to be away from Vegeta."

"It's your call..." The monk veered away as Yamcha neared the hospital.

The long haired man landed in front of the building and started toward the door. Vegeta stood next to the entrance, leaning against the wall. The Saiyan stepped forward as Yamcha neared.

"It's about time... Those idiots won't give me my son."

"He's not your son."

"Are you blind?! That boy is a Saiyan; he is mine."

"No, he's not. Bulma knew he was a Saiyan, but it didn't matter to her. She named me the father and I'm going to be one."

Vegeta's aura flared as he stepped toward Yamcha. "I will have my heir."

Yamcha smiled. "Is that all he is to you?"

"Of course. Saiyans are fighters, nothing else."

"Listen up buddy... Trunks is going to stay with me. I'm going to raise him away from you." Yamcha's aura flared. "I'll teach him to fight. And some day in the future I'll tell him about you. He may even choose to come to you. But for now..." His aura shifted red. "You stay away from my son."

Vegeta stared hard at Yamcha. With the Kaioken technique, Yamcha was a little stronger than Vegeta. A fight between the two would result in the destruction of the city... Not to mention Vegeta's pride. He would have to wait before challenging him. Kakarot had warned the Saiyan prince not to hurt any civilians.

"You win... For now. But I expect a chance to train my son someday."

"That will be his decision." Yamcha walked past Vegeta and entered the building.

--

Services were held for Bulma. Most everybody was there. Krillin glanced around nervously, waiting for Yamcha to show. He never did. After the Service, everyone left. Some went back to Capsule Corp with Bulma's parents; some went home. Vegeta stayed put though. He stared into the distance as everyone else walked away from the grave. When everyone else had gone, he looked down at the freshly turned dirt.

"Damnit woman... Why did you have to die? That fool of yours is so much more brazen now. He's telling me what to do now." He closed his eyes and sighed. "He didn't come here though. I guess he couldn't be bothered to say goodbye to his woman."

He turned and walked out of the cemetary, and all the way home.

--

Trunks cried loudly in Yamcha's arms. A single photo of Bulma burned on the ground in front of them. Yamcha rocked the baby softly.

"This is how I said goodbye to my parents when they died." He kissed his son's forehead. "You'll see your mom again someday; I promise. I'm going to make sure you know how wonderful she was. And someday... I'll tell you about your heritage."

Puar shed a tear as the last of the photo became ash. The wind picked up and the ashes blew away. It was just the boys in the desert base again. And though Puar wasn't attached to Bulma himself, he couldn't help but be saddened by the whole situation. Yamcha would never be the same again.

--

Vegeta became unbearable shortly after Bulma's death. By the time the funeral had been held, Raditz had moved out of Capsule Corp. He stayed with Goku for a while as his house was constructed next door. Bulma's father buried himself in his work once again. And Bulma's mother, she was no longer her normal cheery self. She spent most of her time fixing up the, now unused, nursery. She convinced herself that Yamcha would bring her grandson home any day. His room had to be ready for him.

Life went on for everyone else. Krillin stopped by the desert base often, to check on Yamcha. He pretended to be worried about the baby, but he was never good at lying... And Yamcha kicked him out more often than he could count. Goku and Gohan stopped by too. Goku really was worried about the baby. He remembered how hard it had been when he had Gohan, and he thought it might be easier for Yamcha to have some company onca in a while. He brought Gohan so Trunks could have someone younger to play with.

Vegeta trained twenty hours a day. He was going to become strong enough to beat Yamcha, even with the Kaioken. Of course, the training went slow without a partner. 


	51. ChiChi's Sacrifice

A/N: It's finally here; the long awaited Android Saga! I'm sorry you guys had to wait so long, but I've been so busy lately I can't seem to keep up. I'm going to try to update more frequently, but I can't make any promises. Also, I've just recently noticed that this site no longer allows for more than two hyphens in a row. This has caused my stories to appear bunched together, as I use about ten hyphens in a row to seperate scenes. I don't plan to change my writing style for this story, so I appologize for fanfiction dot net's utter lack of punctuation support.

--

Chi-Chi's Sacrifice

Puar laughed as Yamcha tried to make a bottle while holding the baby.

"You know, you could make yourself useful." Yamcha said as he nearly dropped the bottle.

Puar continued laughing as he transformed into a high-chair. Yamcha sat Trunks down in the chair and finished making the bottle. Soon Trunks was having a drink, and Yamcha felt like he needed a drink. It had been a hard year. Having no parental experience, and Goku knowing very little about the subject, despite his good intentions, it had been an uphill battle all the way.

Yamcha hadn't trained much since becoming a dad. He worked on his sword form when Trunks took naps, but other than that he had slacked off. He just didn't have the time for real training. Goku had offered to watch Trunks while Yamcha and Gohan sparred, but the former bandit just didn't like the idea. Goku was more of a big picture guy... He wasn't that great with the day to day stuff.

"I could use a drink." He said as he plopped into a chair.

"You say that every day." Puar laughed. "Besides, it's too early for alchohol."

Yamcha looked at the clock on the wall. It was 10:00 AM. He stood and picked up his son. Puar changed back to his normal self and the three of them went outside for some fresh air. They sat in the sand for a few minutes, enjoying the sun.

Trunks giggled as he threw a handful of sand at Yamcha. Yamcha didn't notice. He was too busy staring south. He had sensed small energies fading. Someone was killing people. And to make matters worse, he had no way to go check it out. He couldn't leave Trunks.

His head shifted as he felt three large powers headed toward him. Gohan landed as the other two kept going.

"Hey Yamcha, something's happening. Dad said to warn you."

"I felt it too kid."

"You should take Trunks and go to my house. That way he'll be with my mom if we need your help."

Yamcha's spirits raised. He hadn't thought of Chi-Chi. "Thanks Gohan. You'd better get going if you want to help." He rushed into his home and gathered up Trunks' stuff. He grabbed his son and his friend and flew as fast as he could to Goku's house. Halfway to his destination, Yamcha felt Krillin's energy fall severely.

Goku and Raditz landed in the middle of the city. Krillin was on the ground, a hole in his chest. Goku rushed to his side and lifted his head.

"Krillin... Who did this to you?"

Krillin smiled weakly. "Glad you could make it. Be careful... He drained my energy..." The small monk closed his eyes, barely breathing.

Goku stood and scanned the area. "Who did this?!"

A thin, elderly man stepped out of an alley. "Hello. It was easier to find you than I thought, Goku."

"How do you know my name?" Goku noticed the Red Ribbon Army logo on the man's hat.

"I know all about you. You destroyed the Red Ribbon Army. I was programmed by Dr. Gero to eliminate you."

"Dr. Gero? Who's that?"

"Dr. Gero was the brains behind the Red Ribbon Army. He was the man who created the androids that you had to fight."

"He created Eighter?"

"Ah yes... Number 8. He has been dealt with as well."

Goku's aura began to show visibly."What do you mean 'dealt with'?"

"You know precisely what I mean. But enough of this; you will be dead soon enough."

"If you want to fight me, that's fine, but we'll do it somewhere else."

"Fair enough. I don't care where you die."

The three rose into the air and flew away. A few seconds later, Demas appeared next to Krillin. He checked him for signs of life and stood. There was nothing he could do for him now. He rose into the air and followed Goku.

Yamcha put Trunks down on the livingroom floor. He turned to Chi-Chi. "Thanks for watching him."

She smiled. "I might as well do something useful while you boys are off saving the world. Now go before I change my mind."

Yamcha smiled and turned to leave. He waved to Puar, took two steps, and stopped cold. A mechanical laugh penetrated the house. He pointed at Chi-Chi, then at Trunks. He walked outside to see a portly man with pale skin.

"Who are you?"

The strange man looked at him. "You are not the one I seek, but you will supply me with energy."

Yamcha tensed. In the blink of an eye, a hand was over Yamcha's throat. He cried out as his energy was drained. After a few seconds, the man threw Yamcha through the front wall. Yamcha landed in a heap. The man laughed again. He raised his right hand to the house, palm out. Several small blasts rocked the house with tremendous force. After a minute of destruction, he stopped. The house was in ruins. He turned to the house next door and did the same thing.

Another mechanical laugh echoed through the forest as he lifted into the air. He had killed those at Goku's home. He would regroup with his ally and see if he had any success. He flew away.

Orion landed in front of the rubble mere seconds later. Demas had asked him to follow Yamcha. If only he had been faster... He said a prayer for the fallen and turned away from the destruction. He took a step and stopped. He had heard something. It almost sounded like... crying? He turned and sifted through the rubble. He came across Chi-Chi's body, scarred from the attacks, and he rolled her over. Trunks was lying underneath, crying.

Orion picked up the child and smiled. At least somebody survived the attack. He lifted into the air and headed to Capsule Corp. He would leave the baby with his family... Or what was left of it.


	52. Piccolo Dies Again

Piccolo Dies Again

Goku stared at his enemy. "Why did you kill Krillin?"

"Because I can."

"Why kill innocent people? What do you gain?"

"Gain? I gain nothing but satisfaction. The design of the current generation of androids has been designed solely to kill you. Everyone else is just a bother."

Goku's aura flared. "It's not right!"

"Right and wrong are of no concern to me. I simply wish to kill you. Which is why we are here." The android walked forward.

Goku readied himself for an attack, but was surprised to see his foe turn toward Raditz. "Stop! You said you wanted to fight me."

"I am making sure that we are not disturbed during our fight."

The android reached for Raditz. Goku launched himself and punched him in the jaw. The artificial man flew away from his victim and crashed into the ground. He stood and dusted himself off.

"You are eager to die. Very well." He flew at Goku and punched.

Goku blocked and threw his own punch. They traded blows for a few minutes and Goku jumped back. He began charging energy for a Kamehameha. His enemy just stared as the energy pulsed in his hands. He thrust his hands forward and launched the attack. His opponent just raised his left hand and caught it. Goku watched in amazement as his attack was absorbed.

"That was impressive. Unfortunately for you, I am stronger than you are."

"We'll see about that."

Goku flared his aura and began throwing several blasts at the man. The man caught them all. Gohan landed during the exchange of energy and watched as his father was clearly outmatched. He turned to his uncle.

"How come you're not helping him?"

"Because he doesn't need it."

"But he's losing."

"You forget that your father has the Kaioken technique. He is determined to keep us out of this fight... And I will allow him the opportunity to win on his own." The two watched as Goku struggled to keep up with his foe.

It became apparent to Goku that he couldn't win as he was. He concentrated and brought forth the power, just as he had been taught by King Kai. The red aura enveloped him and he became stronger. He smiled and began his assault anew.

Piccolo flew toward the powerful energy he felt. He couldn't let Goku die by someone else's hand. As he flew, he saw someone flying ahead of him. He didn't sense any energy emanating from the man, so he called out to him.

"Hey you!"

The man turned his head. "Yes?"

"Who are you?"

"I am Android 19. And you are the one known as Piccolo. My data says that you are dead."

"Well your data is outdated. Where are you going?"

"I am on my way to my partner, Android 20. He has found the one we seek."

"Goku?"

"Yes. He is the one we were programmed to kill."

"I don't think so. Killing Goku is my privelage."

"Then I will eliminate you."

Piccolo barely had time to register the comment before he had been grabbed by the throat. 19 drained the energy from his body.

"You have much more energy than my data specifies. I will have to update the files."

Goku's foot connected with Android 20's gut. He threw a few punches and jumped back. He now knew that his energy blasts were being absorbed through the hands. His only hope of winning was to beat his opponent lifeless. He swung at 20's head and missed. The android punched back, causing Goku to double over in pain.

"I grow tired of this." 20 said as he grabbed Goku by the neck. "Now you will die."

Gohan and Raditz watched in horror as Goku's grip weakened. His hand began to slip from the android's arm. Gohan rushed forward and kicked 20 in the head. Goku fell to the ground as he was dropped.

Gohan surged his power to the surface, a red aura surrounding him. "My turn."

The young boy launched an all out attack against the android. 20 blocked the punches, just as he had done with Goku. Raditz knelt down beside his brother. Goku turned his head to him.

"Help him..." He whispered. "He can't win by himself."

Raditz nodded and joined the fight. Goku's eyes closed as he lost consiousness.

Piccolo's lifeless body hit the ground with a thud. Android 19 turned from his victim and flew on to his destination.

Orion lifted into the air. He had just dropped Tunks off with his only living relatives. Now he had to get to Goku before he died too. His energy was fading fast now. It was only a matter of time until it was gone completely. He pushed himself to his limits, intent on preventing further damage.


	53. Return of the Super Saiyan

Return of the Super Saiyan

Tien and Chiaotzu flew as fast as possible. They had stopped at Korin's to see if the Senzu Beans had sprouted yet. And from the way Goku's energy felt, it was a good thing they did. Tien clutched the bag as they felt Gohan's energy rise.

'Hold on guys...'

Gohan punched 20 in the face. Raditz followed up with a kick to the back. 20 fell to the ground. He was having more trouble than he should be. He knew it had been a mistake to stop watching Goku after he had been reported dead. Those blasted Dragonballs ruined everything. Now he was barely fighting an even fight against two people who shouldn't have been a problem.

He blasted an advancing Raditz and stood. He blocked a kick from Gohan and threw a flurry of punches. Gohan wasn't quite as strong as Goku, but it was become difficult to kill him with Raditz always getting in the way. Just as he had a clear shot to blast the boy, Raditz stepped in front of him and punched him in the gut.

Without the red aura that the other two were using, Raditz could do little damage. 20 grabbed Raditz's arm and began draining as much energy as possible. After a few seconds Raditz was only at half strength, but Gohan kicked him in the side of the head. There wasn't going to be many more chances to drain either of them. He was severely peeved.

Suddenly, he whipped his head to the right and smiled. "Ah, 19 is here. This will be much easier now."

Raditz turned to see the other android smiling at him. "Gohan, be careful. It looks like I'm going to have to keep the other one busy."

Gohan grunted in response and continued his assault. Raditz launched himself at 19. He probably couldn't beat this new threat, but he had to give Gohan the time to finish the other one. Hopefully he would survive. He swung at 19 three times; all were misses. 19 laughed his cold mechanical laugh and grabbed Raditz's head, covering his eyes.

Raditz struggled against his captor. It was bad enough he was losing his energy at an alarming rate, but now he was blind too. He felt a tingle in the back of his mind. It felt so familiar, like he should know the energy that was coming. Unfortunately, his fading brain couldn't place it.

Demas saw as Raditz was grabbed. He watched the feeble attempts to free himself. It was a matter of seconds before the Wildfire was close enough to attack, but that was all it took to make Raditz comatose. 19 dropped his victim as he was punched in the back of the head. Demas pulled each hand back. Energy began to pulse in them.

Gohan turned to Demas. "Stop! They absorb energy!"

Demas stopped charging his attack as Gohan was kneed in the gut. "Fine then, I'll just beat the crap out of him."

The Wildfire prince began punching 19 relentlessly. 19 just laughed as he was hit. He barely even felt the blows. And yet, the man kept at it. Demas saw that his hits weren't having any effect. He surged his energy to the surface and shifted into his Raging form. Two punches later, 19 had stopped laughing. Now he was feeling them.

The two seperate fights went on for several minutes. As the androids were distracted by their opponents, Tien and Chiaotzu landed next to Goku. Tien handed Chiaotzu a bean and the little psychic ran over to Raditz. In seconds the Saiyans' energy began returning. A few more minutes and they would be consious as well.

Gohan flew backward and landed hard. His red aura faded as he struggled to stand. He couldn't give up, not with his dad's life on the line. He threw up his arms to block a punch. 20 smiled. He was finally going to kill this brat, and then his father. He raised a hand and pointed it at Gohan's head. Energy fired from the hand and hit the boy. Gohan fell to the ground in a heap. His eyes bore into 20's, hatred in them.

Tien tensed as Gohan went down. Even with the Senzu Beans, they might not stand a chance. Then he felt it. Orion's energy was close, and Vegeta's was approaching fast. There was still hope. He stood and flew at 20. He would hold him at bay long enough for the others to get there.

Demas doubled over as 19's foot connected with his gut. This guy was too strong, even now. Demas had only faced one other opponent alone who he couldn't beat. That battle nearly killed him. And now it looked as if this one would succeed where the last one failed. He fell to the ground with a thud as 19 brought his fists down on his back.

Despite the fact that Orion had been closer at the time of the attack, Vegeta arrived first. He watched as Tien was thrown to the ground. He saw Demas rising from the dirt. He flared his aura and fired two small blasts; one at each android. As the blasts hit, they both turned to him.

"You people are like cockroaches." 20 said as he laid eyes on the Saiyan prince.

"Listen up!" Vegeta yelled. "I have seen enough Saiyan blood spilled over the years. I will not allow it to happen again!"

Goku awoke just in time to feel Vegeta's energy rise beyond its limits. He turned his head to watch him. A small whirlwind of golden energy swirled from the base of his feet. It rose above his head as his hair turned to blonde. Goku couldn't believe it... Vegeta had become a Super Saiyan. But why hadn't he transformed into a golden ape first?

Vegeta smirked as he saw Goku out of the corner of his eye. "Are you surprised Kakarot? Surprised that I have surpassed you?"

Goku stood. "How did you do it without becoming a giant monkey first?"

Vegeta laughed. "Oh I became the Golden Oozaru. It happened a few months ago, while I was training on another planet..." He stared off into space as he told his story. "I was beyond angry at that moron Yamcha, so I made that fool at Capsule Corp build me a spaceship. I traveled to a barren planet and trained in solitude.

"One night, after an exhaustive training session, my sensors detected a meteor heading straight for the planet. There wasn't enough time to take off, so I tried to blast it. Unfortunately, I wasn't strong enough to completely destroy it. It took everything I had to keep it from destroying the planet, and me along with it.

"And then a large piece filled my vision. I had no energy left, not even enough to fly away. I dropped to the ground in defeat. I had given up. And that's when it happened... Fur sprouted across my body, and I knew. I was becoming a Super Saiyan. I destroyed every last piece of that rock. But, not yet used to my new power, I nearly destroyed my ship as well. It took all of my willpower to keep from surging my power to the surface. Eventually I regained complete control of my mind and shrank to this form.

"The next time I trained, I transformed without even trying. It felt so natural; like I was meant to do it. I guess I'm the true Legendary Super Saiyan. You could only access the power once, and I have unlimited access. But, I am intrigued to know who would win in a fight between two Super Saiyans, so I will tell you how I do it. Concentrate on the image of the Golden Oozaru, keep it in your thoughts. Focus on it as you pull energy from the center of your mind. That is how I do it. And that is how you will too."

Goku nodded wordlessly. 20 flew slowly toward Vegeta. "That was all very interesting, but I have become bored. I will kill you now if you don't mind."

"You, kill me? Don't make me laugh. You couldn't hope to beat me."

Without waiting for a reply, the newly transformed Super Saiyan flew at 20 and punched him with shocking power. The android flew into the ground and created a small crater. Vegeta laughed and turned to 19. He flew at 19 and began pummeling him mercilessly.


	54. More Androids

More Androids

Raditz awoke to the sound of fighting. He immediately sat up and looked to see Vegeta with blonde hair. "He did it..."

Orion arrived on the scene in time to see 20 rise from his crater. He didn't even stop to look at the rest of the fighters. All that mattered was that he stop the guy he didn't know. He punched the android in the face. He was shocked to see that the hit did nothing to phase the man.

Without taking his eyes off Vegeta, 20 backhanded Orion. The Wildfire spiraled backward. Demas laughed despite the situation. His friend, one of the most powerful fighters in the universe, had just been swatted away like a fly.

"At least you have Danielle if you get knocked out." He laughed as he passed his friend to rejoin the fight.

Orion scowled and the two assaulted the android together. "I would prefer not to let that happen."

"Of course you would. Hell, I would too. But at least you know you won't die."

"You're mind will always be a mystery to me..."

Goku's eyes were closed. He felt the battle around him, but he forced it out of his mind. He concentrated on the image of the Oozaru. He forced the image to become golden, swirling energy around it. For a few minutes he felt nothing. He feared that Vegeta was right, that he would never again access the power which could save them now. Then he felt it: A power like no other.

Raditz's head whipped around. Goku was standing perfectly still, no sign that he was even consious. But a swirl of golden energy was at his feet. Within seconds it had risen to his head. The Saiyan's hair stood straight up and changed color. Goku had once again become a Super Saiyan. Raditz smiled. It was only a matter of time before he reached that level. And maybe someday Gohan would as well.

Gohan smiled as he felt the power. It was hard to see with one eye swollen shut, but the feeling was unmistakeable. He struggled to sit, and was surprised to feel someone help him.

"Here, eat this." Tien said as he stuck a bean in Gohan's mouth.

Gohan swallowed the bean whole. Within seconds he felt his energy return. He was amazed at the speed his wounds healed. He looked at Tien and smiled.

Tien smiled back. "I'm glad you're okay, but how about we sit this one out for a bit. It looks like your dad and Vegeta can finish this."

Goku flew into the air and looked at the two androids. 'Vegeta seems to be having the time of his life.' He thought as he turned toward 20. 'I better not ruin his fun. I guess I'll help those guys.'

20 knocked Orion into the ground. Goku took that as his cue and joined in. He punched 20 at the same time as Demas. The android flew back from the force and his face cracked. He felt the damage and scowled. His plan was not going well.

19 was covered in dents. Vegeta was faster than him, and at least as strong. He would not last much longer at this rate. But he could not expect help from 20 either. It seemed that neither android could beat these transformed men. There was only one chance left...

20 felt his casing crack again as Goku landed a kick in his gut. Demas wasn't even helping anymore. The Wildfire just laughed as the artificial man was beaten down. Goku pulled his fist back and swung at 20. 20 managed to turn so that his bicep took most of the force. This time more than casing cracked. He felt wires snap, and steel bone break. His arm would no longer respond.

Goku pulled back his fist for another hit, but it was not to be. A huge explosion caused everyone to turn toward Vegeta. The Saiyan prince stared at the remains of his opponent.

"I didn't even hit him that time..." He muttered as pieces rained down to the Earth.

Goku laughed and turned back to 20. Except that 20 was gone. He searched the sky, but could see no sign of the man. Everyone soon began searching for him. The only place he could have gotten that fast was a mountain range a short distance away. The group flew after him in a hurry. He could not be allowed to escape.

20 ran as fast as his feet would carry him. He would have been destroyed if 19 hadn't sacrificed himself. His only chance to kill Goku now would be to reactivate androids 17 and 18. He had hoped not to bring them back online until he was sure that their programming was functioning properly. But now it seemed as if he had no choice. They were his last resort.

He ran until he felt it safe to fly again. Unfortunately for him, his pursuers spotted him taking off. They followed him to a forested area north of North City. There he landed in an effort to lose them again. It worked. They could not find him with the trees blocking their view. He quickly ran to his hidden lab in the side of a mountain and entered.

He grabbed a remote and pressed two buttons on it. Two casket-like machines opened and two teenagers stepped out, one boy and one girl. The boy spotted the remote and stood rigid.

"Androids 17 and 18, confirm your mission." 20 ordered.

"To kill the one known as Goku and to obey Dr Gero." They said in unison.

"Good, and who am I?"

"You are Dr Gero."

"Excellent. It seems as if the new modifications have taken effect after all. Now, I order you to go out and kill Goku now. He is outside."

The boy smiled. "What about 16? Surely he is ready to help us."

"Absolutely not. Android 16 is still in the experimental stage. He may very well malfunction. Now go and carry out your duty."

"I found him!" Chiaotzu called from outside.

20 turned and scowled. They had already found him. But it was okay because his other androids would finish them. Suddenly the remote was wrenched from his hand. He turned to see the girl crushing it with one hand.

"Android 18, what are you doing?!"

"What's it look like Doc?" She answered. "I'm taking away my reason to listen to you."

17 laughed. "Now we can kill you and get on with our lives."

20 stepped back and bumped into another casket. In a flash, 17 had punched a hole through his master's head. Oil splattered everywhere as the brain ceased to function. The body fell to the floor.

"Now," 17 said as he pushed a button on the casket. "Let's let 16 out."

The casket hissed as it opened. A large man in green sat up slowly. He looked down at his fallen master. "Dr Gero is dead. The mission is no longer a priority. Activating fail safe procedure."

17 frowned as 16's eyes went dark. "Darn. I didn't want to play with him after all."

17 and 18 both looked at Chiaotzu. Evil grins spread across their faces as they advanced to the door. Chiaotzu backed away slowly. He couldn't beat someone who could kill 20 so easily. He turned to run, but was caught in the back by an energy blast.

The others arrived in time to see Chiaotzu die. "Chiaotzu!" Tien called as he flew after his friend.

The two Super Saiyans floated down to the entrance. Goku pointed at the new androids. "You'll pay for that. Chiaotzu was a good man."

17 laughed. "We're programmed to kill you, but we don't always listen. If you leave now, we'll leave you alone."

"And what will you do after I'm gone?"

"Whatever we feel like. Kill people, destroy stuff, it doesn't matter. Whatever feels fun."

"I can't let you kill people. I'll stop you now."

"If you insist. Come on sis, let's do what we were programmed to do."

Vegeta floated in front of Goku. "I'll handle them Kakarot. Don't worry about it."

"All right Vegeta, just be careful. We don't know what these two are capable of."

Vegeta laughed and swung at 17. 17 dodged with ease and punched him in the gut. The Super Saiyan felt ribs crack as 18 kicked him in the side. 17 punched him three times in the sternum. Vegeta coughed up blood and reverted to normal. 18 laughed and punched him in the center of his back while 17 punched his sternum again. The force of the blows caused his heart to stop. Vegeta was dead before he had a chance to fight back.

"Impossible..." Goku said as he watched it happen.

"Are you sure you want us to kill you now?" 18 asked him.

"No!" Raditz cried out. He floated over to Goku and whispered in his ear. "We must flee for now. They are allowing us to go, so we must go. We must train if we want to stand a chance against them."

Goku was beyond words now. His body convulsed in anger. Raditz saw that his words had no effect on his brother. Without revealing anything, he karate chopped Goku in the back of the neck. Goku's hair fell and returned to black as he lost consiousness.

"We will leave now." He told the androids. "Go about your business." 17 smirked and the two androids flew away. Raditz turned to the others. "We need to train, and we need to train hard."

Tien floated back up to them, Chiaotzu in his arms. "It would take us years to reach that level."

Raditz looked him in the eyes. "Then we train for years. There is nothing we can do as we are."

Demas held up his hand to stop them. "There is a way to get stronger quickly. If we train at 1000 times Earth's gravity, we could reach their level much faster."

"We wouldn't be able to move!" Tien protested.

"Well, what do you suggest?!" Raditz shot back.

Tien looked down. He had no idea what they could do. "Wait. What about the Dragonballs?"

"I don't think the dragon could kill them."

"He wouldn't have to. He could transport them somewhere... Maybe the sun."

"It's worth a try, but that means those who died would not be able to come back for another year." Orion answered.

"It's worth it. They wouldn't be any help right now anyway."

"Then it's agreed. Let's go collect the Dragonballs."


	55. Hyperbolic Time Chamber

Hyperbolic Time Chamber

The Guardian of Earth stopped at the top of the stairs. A single unremarkable door greeted him. There were still rooms of the Lookout that he had not been to. This door had never even been shown to him. What could possibly be hidden behind it? His hand reached out and grasped the handle...

Tien pushed the button on top of the Dragon Radar. Nothing happened. He pushed it several more times, and still nothing. "What now?"

Orion shook his head. "Does anyone know how to fix it?" His answer was silence. "What about Likab? He created the Dragonballs, so he should be able to sense them... Right?"

"It's worth a try."

Likab was speechless. Upon opening the door, he had found a room that could not possibly exist. It stretched well beyond the dimensions of the given space, maybe even the planet itself. A small living area surrounded him, but that was not the impressive part. What really shocked him was the rest of the space. White nothingness stretched as far as the eye could see. Not to mention the odd way it seemed to exist on the other side of the door.

'Likab?' Mr Popo called telepathically.

'What is it Mr Popo?'

'You have visitors. Where are you?'

'I'm... Not really sure. I'm in a room that can't possibly exist.'

'Oh no. You shouldn't have gone in there.'

'Why not?'

'I'll explain later. But for now, there is a need for your presence outside.'

'Understood. I'm on my way.'

Mr Popo paced uncomfortably as he waited for Likab. The Z Fighters couldn't help but be nervous. Mr Popo had never been anything but calm. Now he was visibly bothered by something, and any questions were just waved away. Several minutes went by before the Guardian arrived.

"Oh, hello." He said as he noticed his guests. "How may I help you?"

Tien answered. "We need the Dragonballs, but our radar is broken. Can you help us find them?"

"What do you need them for this time?"

"Surely you know of the androids that attacked that city."

"Ah yes, I recall Mr Popo notifying me of them. But he also notified me that Vegeta was more than capable of handling them."

"He was right... But there are more. And these new ones killed Vegeta without so much as breaking a sweat. We need to wish them to another planet so they won't hurt anyone else."

"I see. How unfortunate it is then, that the Dragonballs are out of comission for the moment."

"What?!"

"I told you they didn't work right." Demas muttered.

"Unfortunately, he's right. For months now, the Dragonballs have been changing. Currently, they are full of black smoke, and I don't know why. I have tried to speak with the former Guardian, but Piccolo will not see me."

"Then you have a situation on your hands." Raditz told him. "As Guardian of the planet, you are responsible for its protection. Normally we have taken up that duty, for whatever reasons, but now we are unable to stop this new threat. Now it is your turn to do something about it."

Likab shook his head. "I'm not sure I can stop them either. I must ask that you fight alongside me, even if it costs us all our lives."

"I may have an idea..." Mr Popo spoke up. Everyone turned to him. "Actually, you gave it to me sir."

"What are you talking about?"

"That room you found. It may be of some help to us."

"But you sounded worried that I entered. If it's that dangerous, how could it help?"

"It's not dangerous. I was worried because it could be needed for a situation like this, and there is a limit on the number of times a person can enter it."

"Interesting. Mr Popo, I think you should explain."

"Of course. One of the past Guardians discovered a doorway to another dimension. He created a door to fit in the doorway and a living area on the other side of the door. That other dimension is the room you discovered. Kami stumbled upon it in much the same manner as you did. It was explained to him by his predecessor, and to me by him. It is called the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. It is a magical place that allows you to train for years in the span of days."

"Incredible..." Raditz whispered.

"Indeed. The chamber can change to fit your needs. It can read your mind to produce food when you are hungry, or provide training grounds for you. And it is never ending. If you were to lose sight of the living area, you may never find your way back."

"You said something about limits?" Likab questioned.

"Yes. A person can only enter twice in their lifetime. By entering it before, you can now only use it once more."

"I still don't understand." Raditz interrupted. "Just because we can train in different ways, doesn't mean we'll get years of training."

"I apologize, I wasn't clear. Time passes more quickly in there. A day here is the same as a year there. You could train for seven years in there and only be gone a week from here."

Goku spoke for the first time since regaining consiousness. "I say we give it a try. But how will we keep them from killing everyone on Earth while we're gone?"

"I will slow them down." Likab said as he palmed his katana handle. "I'll give you two days, that's all I can promise."

Orion raised his hand. "I'll help."

"You should train with your friends."

"I'm sure you know what's in me. If it comes down to it, I may be able to stop them."

"If Orion stays, I stay." Demas added.

Likab shook his head. "You will be in grave danger if you aren't prepared. Go in the chamber. If I die before your two days are over, then Mr Popo will inform you."

"Agreed." Demas answered. "We'll be more helpful if we train."

Orion turned and stared in his friend's eyes. "Fine." He turned back to Likab. "Try not to die."


	56. Delay Tactics

A/N: Hey everyone, I'm back! And while I still think this site has some serious prejudices against punctuation... I'm going to try and make a conscious effort to work with it rather than just be my stubborn self. So in the future, unless I'm in a hurry, I will be using the accepted line-break to separate scenes. Thanks to all of my loyal readers for sticking with me during the breaks. And because this is one of two stories people actually read, I'm going to try and update a little more often.

* * *

Delay Tactics

--

Likab stood at the edge of the Lookout, twirling his staff in his hands. Mr Popo walked out of the temple and joined the Guardian.

"They have entered." He looked down at the Earth. "Just how do you plan on delaying them without dying?"

Likab smiled weakly. "That's a good question." He slid the staff back in its holder. "I wish I knew the answer..."

A sports car flew down the populated streets of East City. 17 was behind the wheel and 18 was sitting next to him, chin resting in her hand.

"17, this is boring." She said to him.

"Boring? Watching you try on clothes for three hours is boring, this is actually kinda fun." He replied, "Ten points for every Human I hit!"

The car slammed into an old man, throwing him into the side of a building. People jumped out of the way of the speeding vehicle. Inches from hitting a woman, the car just stopped. 17 pushed the gas pedal as hard as he could, which ended up putting a hole in the floor of the car. The two androids got out of the car and looked around angrily.

"All right, who broke my car?!" 17 screamed as he raised his left hand to the woman.

"I did." Likab said as he stepped out of an alley.

"Oh? Why would you want to do that?"

"I heard your friend. She was bored, so I thought I'd give her something fun to do."

18 looked at him with disgust. "Sorry, but you're not my type."

"That's not what I meant. I am a fighter. I thought you could fight me for a while."

"You won't last very long."

"I'm aware, but I'd still like to try." 17 smiled evily. Likab smiled back. "Only the girl."

17 frowned. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Oh shut up 17." 18 told him. "Go find another car. I'll be done by the time you get back."

Likab drew his sword and prepared for battle. 18 smiled and began walking forward.

* * *

Goku looked at his brother and his son. "I'm going to do everything in my power to teach you two to become a Super Saiyan. It may be the key to beating these guys."

"I am ready brother." Raditz said seriously. "Teach me."

Gohan nodded. "I want to be as strong as you."

"Good." Goku nodded as his aura began rising. With a small amount of effort, he transformed. "But first, I'm gonna need to get you guys angry."

Demas and Orion smiled. "I think we can help with that." Demas said as he shifted to Raging.

Goku smiled. "Thanks, but shouldn't you be teaching Orion how to go Raging?"

Demas laughed. "It's triggered in much the same way as your Super Saiyan. I say we beat on them until they can transform, then we can work on Orion. He's really hard to get angry. I figure five on one should do the trick though."

Gohan turned and pointed at each person. "Five, six... Is that all that's left?"

Goku turned sad. "I'm afraid so son. We've lost a lot of good people to those androids. That's why we have to stop them now: To avenge them. We may not be able to wish them back."

Gohan looked down. "Yamcha..." A red aura flared around the boy.

"Good Gohan. You've got the right idea. Hopefully we'll be able to use that to trigger the transformation." Goku turned to the others and nodded. Tien, Demas, and Orion all joined Goku in a fight against Gohan. "Come on Raditz, help your nephew."

Raditz nodded and punched Demas in the face. The Wildfire prince smiled and began fighting him.

* * *

18 laughed. "You're not bad. But I'm starting to get bored."

Likab panted, his collapsable arm shield in pieces at his feet. "Then we should stop for today."

"Oh no, I'm just going to kill you."

"But if you let me recover my strength, I can fight you again, maybe give you something to do tomorrow."

"Tempting..."

"Don't even think about it 18." 17 said as he patted his new car. "I have better things to do."

"So do them." She spat back. "You don't need me to run people over."

"What the hell happened to you? You used to like hurting people."

"I like hurting people. I just like when I can hurt them for more than two seconds."

Likab smiled. His plan was working. "So then, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure. Be back here, on this street, at three. If you don't show up on time, I'll hunt you down and kill you."

"Understood." He wished he could fight longer, but he had to last at least two days. Hopefully he could find a way to fix the Dragonballs and revive all the people he couldn't protect. "I'll be here."


	57. Guardian's Sacrifice

Guardian's Sacrifice

--

Demas lay crushed underneath a giant foot. He cried in pain as the Golden Oozaru pushed harder. Goku smiled.

"That's great, Gohan. Now you have to gain control of the power. Just remember, Demas is your friend. He didn't really kill Yamcha."

The Oozaru turned and looked at him with a curious expression. It blinked once, then began to shrink slowly. Everyone watched as Gohan reappeared, his mullet a blazing blonde. He smiled at his father for about three seconds, then passed out. His hair reverted to its normal black as he fell to the ground.

Demas coughed. "I'm happy for him and all... But next time you get to be the bait."

Goku laughed as he carried Gohan to one of the beds. Orion helped his friend to his feet and walked him to the other bed. Raditz clenched his fists. He had been surpassed by a kid. He was happy that Gohan had achieved the power, but not that he had done it first. Raditz was older, stronger, and more experienced. Why could he not obtain the power?

Goku and Orion walked back out. Goku looked at Raditz. "You've got the anger thing going. We just need something to trigger the transformation. It looks like we have a long way to go still."

Raditz tensed as his aura flared. What did he mean, a long way to go? Raditz was every bit the warrior Gohan was. In fact he was better, better than Goku even. He would be a Super Saiyan!

* * *

Likab shifted uneasily. He had been there for ten minutes, and it was now 3:01. He hoped that she would show up. Even if he was out of weapons, he could still stand up to her for a few hours. Using a power passed to him from his home planet, he could put up an unseen shield of sorts. It kept the opponent thinking that they were hitting him, but he took no damage. For a few hours at least, he could stand up to the android's power.

"But only if she shows up..." He muttered.

"I'm hurt." Her voice rang out from above. "I always keep my promises."

Likab stared up at her. She was smiling like a kid at a candy store. She dropped to the ground and began advancing toward him. He dropped into a fighting stance and waited patiently. She punched him in the gut and he pretended to be in pain. His foot swung up and caught her in the ribs.

She grabbed his foot and swung him at a building. He turned in midair and pushed off of the building. He pulled his fist back as he neared. He swung at her shoulder. He had learned the day before, not to hit her in the face. Even if he did no damage, she took it as a personal insult. She took his hit and laughed. She was having fun.

* * *

Gohan's golden hair fluttered. He stood perfectly still as he tried to stay a Super Saiyan. Less than two minutes passed before he reverted to normal. He felt fine, but for some reason, when he transformed, he felt as if he had too much power for his body.

"I don't get it." Goku sighed.

Demas thought about it for a moment. "What about the hair?"

"What about it?" Orion asked.

"Well, it changes color right? What if it's not just cosmetic? Maybe the hair is where the extra power comes from."

"Your hair changes when you transform." Goku pointed out.

"Actually, it mostly just stands up because of the power whipping around. Besides, that doesn't change my point."

"What is your point?" Raditz asked, fearing the answer.

"Maybe, just maybe, there's a connection between his hair and his inability to maintain the transformation. The more hair..."

"The more power!" Goku finished the theory.

"So he needs a haircut." Orion said. "They both do."

Raditz absentmindedly stroked his hair. "Now hold on a minute." He liked his hair the way it was. "I'm not cutting my hair until we know for sure."

"It'll grow back if we're wrong." Demas laughed.

"No it won't. An adult Saiyan's hair does not grow. Why do you think it has reamained the same length for all of these years?"

"I hadn't really thought about it... That does make things interesting though."

"Why?"

"Oh, no reason." Instantly, Demas went Raging and teleported behind Raditz. Faster than the Saiyan could turn, he punched him in the back of the neck. As he passed out, Demas caught him. "Quick, someone give me a pair of scissors. I think I just figured out how to piss him off."

Goku laughed so hard, he fell to the ground and reverted to normal. Tien went to the living area and returned with scissors. "You know, he's going to kill you if he transforms."

"Yeah, I know. Too bad... I really didn't want to be the bait this time."

* * *

Likab flew into the ground. He had hoped to last for a few hours, but that didn't seem to be happening. She wasn't holding back this time. It was taking all of his energy to keep his barrier up. He had another ten minutes of fight left in him, and only then if she didn't try to kill him.

Android 18 kneed her opponent in the gut and smiled as she heard a cracking sound. She had finally done some damage. She wouldn't let him go this time. If he ever recovered fully, he might become strong enough to actually hurt her. She made the realization after she let him go the first time. She had been relieved to see him still in obvious pain when she arrived.

Likab stumbled backward as his ribs pushed against his skin. She was starting to move faster than he could erect the barrier. His only hope of survival was to keep it up permanently, but that was risky. Using that much energy could kill him faster than she could. He would only have three or four minutes instead of ten.

'Mr Popo, I'm going to die.'

Mr Popo hung his head as he heard the news. 'I shall alert the others immediately.'

'I can last another five minutes. Let them train until then. Every second counts.'

'Understood.'


	58. To Kill a Guardian

To Kill a Guardian.

--

Raditz awoke with a start. He immediately stood and pointed at Demas. He opened his mouth to yell, but stopped as he noticed that he felt lighter. His hand slowly felt his back. It began to tremble as he noticed the absence of hair. He continued up until he reached his neck. His hair was short. -A/N: Think Adult Gohan.-

He stared into Demas' eyes. "I... Am... Going... To... Kill... You!!"

Demas shifted to Raging as the first punch was landed. "Is that it?"

Raditz seethed with anger and assaulted Demas with everything he had.

Demas smiled as he saw the fur sprout from the Saiyan's arms. "You know, you look pretty ugly with short hair."

Raditz landed three more blows, all increasingly stronger, before he started to grow. Demas was thrown to the ground as the Oozaru punched him mercilessly. Its fur became golden and it continued to pound him.

"Any time now..." Demas told Goku.

Goku nodded, trying not to laugh. "Raditz... Control the power."

Raditz looked at Goku. Then at Gohan, who also had shorter hair. The Oozaru's eyes widened as Gohan transformed to Super Saiyan with ease. Several minutes went by in silence.

"He was right, Mr Raditz." Gohan said. "It's a lot easier to stay a Super Saiyan with short hair."

Raditz spoke. "I'm still going to kill him."

Demas stood slowly. "That's fine, but do it as a man. I don't want to get beat by an animal."

Raditz smiled. His body began to shrink and his fur began to recede. After several seconds, he was back to normal. Everyone stared in wonder.

He looked at them in confusion. "What?"

"You're hair..." Goku muttered.

"Is it back?!" Raditz immediately began feeling his hair.

"No, it's... Black."

"What? I'm not a Super Saiyan?"

Demas scratched his head. "Why not?"

Goku rubbed the back of his neck. "I have no idea. What did you do wrong?"

"I didn't do anything wrong!"

Demas frowned. "Now what?"

"We try again." Orion answered.

"How? He's not as mad about his hair as he was before."

"I don't know. But we have to keep trying."

Before anything else could be said, Mr Popo's voice echoed in their heads. 'Likab is dying. He will be dead in a few minutes. You have about a day and a half in there before he is gone.'

"We were so close..." Goku said with anger.

"Don't worry about it." Demas told him. "Me and Orion will go hold them off. You guys keep training until you're ready. We can give you the rest of the year."

"But you're injured..." Gohan observed Demas' bruises.

"I'm okay, really. Stay here until you're done training."

Before anyone could object, the two Wildfires were opening the door. They stared as the door slammed shut. Tien turned to his comrades.

"We better make the most of the time they're giving us."

Raditz nodded. "He's right. I must become a Super Saiyan."

Orion took two steps and felt the air shimmer around him. He turned and saw that Demas was gone. He wished, not for the first time, that he too could teleport. Unfortunately, Demas had no idea how he did it, just that he could. Orion sighed and ran out of the temple. He waved to Mr Popo and jumped off the Lookout. He fell for several seconds before surging his energy to the surface. He flew as fast as he could to the fading energy signal of the Earth's Guardian.

* * *

Demas appeared over Likab. Likab smiled and passed out. 18 looked at him with anger.

"Why are you here? I thought you were going to leave us be."

"Actually," Demas smiled. "the agreement was that we leave those mountains and you would leave us alone. You never said we couldn't beat you up later."

"Hah! You couldn't hurt me."

"That doesn't matter. I have some urgent business to attend to." He grabbed Likab's hand and teleported away.

18 turned in search of her victim. He was nowhere in sight. She blasted an entire city block in rage.

Orion nearly stopped as he felt Likab's energy disappear. But he continued as he felt it return behind him an instant later. Demas had returned him to the Lookout for his final moments. He was sure that his friend would beat him to the fight. He was right too. Demas' energy vanished and returned to the area he had just been. He was already there.

Orion hit Demas' chest as the former appeared in front of him. "They're not together. The guy is at West City."

"Trunks..."

"Yeah. Go there and hold him off if possible." With that, Demas was gone again.

Orion turned toward West City and doubled his speed. It would seriously suck if Trunks survived the first androids, only to be killed by the second ones.


	59. New Race Revealed

New Race Revealed

--

Likab felt his strength returning. He opened his eyes to see Korin. "What happened? Why am I back to full strength?"

Korin smiled. "Demas brought you to me. I gave you a Senzu Bean to heal you. You must have been in some fight."

"I was. I hope the others had enough time to finish their training..."

"I'm sure they'll be fine. You should probably get back up to the Lookout."

"You're right. Thank you for the help."

"No problem."

* * *

Demas appeared in front of 18. "Thanks for being so patient. Of course it was only a minute or so, but still..."

18 scowled at his arrogance. "Where have you taken the man?"

"I took him to get healed; I didn't want him to die."

"I will kill you for that."

Demas shifted to Raging. "Go ahead and try. I'm a lot stronger than when I met you."

"In two days? I severely doubt it."

She swung and Demas blocked. He marveled at the difference in power... Or lack there of. He had felt as if he had been hit by someone of equal strength. Maybe there was no need to keep training after all. If he could beat her, then he could beat the other one as well. Of course, he probably wouldn't need to with Danielle backing Orion up.

* * *

Orion heard screaming as he neared West City. He followed them to their source. Sure enough, 17 was running people down on the sidewalk. This guy really was evil. Orion landed on the hood of the car, causing it to flip forward. 17 jumped out as it flipped over Orion's head and exploded.

Orion turned to his foe and smiled. "Oops, did I do that?"

17 clenched his fists. "That's the second car in two days..."

"Maybe you should try a bicycle."

17 didn't even reply. He punched Orion into a building and fired a large energy blast after him. Orion felt the building explode around him and said a prayer for all of the people who had just died. He flew from the rubble and began attacking 17 with everything he had.

* * *

Demas and 18 traded blows. She was unable to believe that he was on her level. Why wouldn't he have attacked her when she met him? He punched her in the face and she screamed in rage. He was thrown into the concrete as she fired a beam of energy at him.

He smiled as he sent his own up to meet hers. This was incredible. There was no way these androids would live beyond the day. He jumped out of the path of the beam and let his dissapate. Her attack bit into the ground as he charged a large red orb above his head.

"Let's see if this works in the air." He said as he threw it at her.

She stopped her attack as his orb neared her. She laughed as it scattered into thousands of small ones. "You missed." She floated an inch forward.

Demas shook his head as explosions rocked the sky. He was glad there was no one left in the city. It made it easy to enjoy his fireworks display. A few minutes later, the smoke cleared and 18 could be seen with ragged clothing. Demas laughed.

"You know, I'm one for fashion..." He shook his head. "But I think it's a bit out of style to let people see your underwear."

She looked down at her shirt and saw her bra through the holes. Her face turned red and she flew at him. "I liked this outfit!"

Demas laughed as he doubled over. This was one of the funniest battles he had ever been in. He blocked a few punches and kicked her in the side. He teleported a few feet behind her and pulled a hand to each side, about chest level.

"Hope you like my Raging Blast." He said as she turned around. He pulled both hands in front of him as orange energy pulsed in them. A large orange beam flared to life and pushed her back. She crashed through several buildings as it continued to push her.

* * *

17 punched Orion, throwing him into a building. Orion stumbled from the rubble and struggled to stay on his feet. His opponent laughed as he swayed in place.

"Why do you even try?" 17 laughed as he walked forward.

Orion's vision blurred and he fell to his knees. 17 kicked him in the head, sending him sprawling to the ground. His eyes closed and Danielle replaced him. She stood and pulled back her fist.

'No!' Orion's voice echoed in her head. She flickered, then vanished. "I'll do it on my own!" Orion screamed as he reappeared.

The Wildfire looked his foe in the eyes. 17, still shocked from Danielle's appearence, watched in amazement as Orion's pupils were replaced by flames.

"What are you?" He asked as Orion's aura began to rise from his body.

Orion smiled as he felt his muscles bulge and his hair whip up. He had transformed. He looked at 17 with amazement. It was just as Demas had said: Everything seemed to have a red tint to it. He was glad that part would wear off with time. As 17 stared, a spiral of energy enveloped Orion's right arm. The Raging Wildfire screamed and punched his enemy.

17 flew backward through several buildings. He stood, dusted himself off, and flew into the air. "You ruined my favorite shirt!"

Orion stared straight ahead, not even looking at his opponent. As 17 flew at him, right fist outstretched, another spiral of energy enveloped his left arm. Without looking, he punched upward and intercepted 17's punch. The resulting shockwave destroyed every building in the city. 17 screamed and punched with his left fist. Orion intercepted that one with an energy wrapped fist as well.

Rubble turned to dust as the two beings pushed with everything they had. Orion's feet sank into the ground. 17 was still stronger, even now. Orion knew he wasn't going to make it much longer without help, but he would not let Danielle fight his battles for him. He would win, or he would die.

17 dropped to the ground and pulled away from Orion. He pulled back a fist and swung. Orion caught it and spun the android around. He punched 17 with everything he had. 17 slid away from the Wildfire and stopped himself. Anger in his eyes, he raised a hand and began charging energy into it. Orion prepared himself for the blast.

Both fighters turned their heads as a small dot flew at them. It was emenating energy rivaling their own. The dot grew larger as it approached, soon becoming a man. The man had turquoise skin and short black hair. As he neared, the battling men could see that his foot was pointed at 17. The android turned to block the attack, but was too slow.

Before he had a chance to move his arms, the newcomer had pierced the android's heart with his foot. 17 coughed up blood and went limp. The man pulled his foot away from the android, but was annoyed to see the artificial human stumble after him. He pushed his other foot against 17's chest and pulled his foot free, destroying even more of the man. He turned his body to a standing position and lowered himself to the ground.

"Who are you?" Orion asked, noticing the man's handcuffs.

"The name's Eckum. I'll explain later. But for now, we should go help your friend." The two lifted into the air and flew towards the area where Demas was fighting 18.


	60. I Blew it up

I Blew it up

--

18 knew her brother was dead before Demas even felt Orion's transformed energy. He had been distracted by his own attack, and hadn't noticed right away. He stopped his attack as he felt the Raging power. He smiled, it was over for the other android now too. Even without Danielle, he could win.

So it surprised him when he felt another energy nearing Orion all of the sudden. It was stronger than him, even in his transformed state. That was not good, but at least it wasn't an android. Demas tensed as he felt Orion's energy drop to almost nothing. But he could feel the two energies headed his way. He would finish off his opponent before they got there. Then he would ask questions.

* * *

Eckum held onto Orion as they flew, which was hard to do with handcuffs on. Several times, he nicked Orion's arm with the blades on the back of his hands. Orion had wished he was strong enough to fly on his own, but he had reverted to normal shortly after meeting Eckum. He just didn't have the energy to keep it up.

Eckum was fast though. The trip took only half as long with the smaller man pulling him along. Orion smiled as he saw Demas come into view. Demas looked up at Orion and the newcomer. He seemed to be helping him, but why?

He scowled as he noticed the handcuffs. "Who's he?"

"The name's Eckum." The man replied.

"I didn't ask you. I asked Orion."

"Are you okay Demas?" Orion asked.

"Am I okay? Your energy nearly disappears, and then you show up with this convict!"

"He's a friend."

"Says you. I don't trust him." He turned to the man. "Why don't you go back to whatever prison you came from."

"Can't." Eckum replied nonchalantly. "I blew it up."

"See?! He blew up a prison!"

Orion raised his eyebrow at his savior. "Why?"

"To escape. Why else?"

"Why did you help me?"

"Because you looked like you needed it."

"How did you know I wasn't the bad guy?"

"He probably thought you were." Demas answered for the man.

"I read your mind. It's a Terranian thing."

"What's a Terranian?"

"I am. It's what my people call themselves. You know, like the Wildfires."

Orion looked at Demas. "I think it's fair to believe him about reading my mind."

"Look, I have a lot of questions for you guys that can't be answered by reading your minds... But isn't there another android around here?"

Demas looked at his feet. "I uh, lost her."

"You lost an android? An entire being? Kids today..."

"Kids?! I'm 23 years old!"

"Yeah, and?"

"So, I'm not a kid!"

"How old do you people get?"

"What?"

"How long does the average Wildfire live?"

"I don't know, 160, 170 years?"

"Is that all? My god..."

"Why, how long does a Terrany thing live?"

"Terranian, and 300."

Both Wildfires dropped their jaws at this point. Orion held up his hand. "Let me get this straight... You're 300 years old?"

"Me? No, I'm only 73. I'll live to be 300 though."

Demas laughed. "You're a geezer. An old escaped convict."

Eckum sighed. "Listen... If you're going to make fun of my handcuffs, could you please remove them?"

"You can't remove those? But you're stronger than me."

"They are designed to keep the wearer in captivity. Only an outsider can open them... And only someone without a pair on."

"I think they look good on you."

"Whatever. Let's just find the other android."

* * *

Android 18 crept through the rubble. She spotted her brother's body and raced to it. She cradled his corpse in her arms. "I'm sorry brother... I wasn't here to help you." She shed a single tear as she punched her fist into his skull. She pulled out a small computer chip. She slid her other hand into the gaping hole in his chest. She searched for, and pulled out, a small cylinder.

She dropped his body and stood. She placed the chip to her head, and the cylinder to her chest. Both sank into her body as if they belonged. Energy wrapped around her as she transformed.

Three heads turned to the West as they felt an enourmous energy. Eckum frowned. "It seems that your android has become stronger than me."

"But why can we feel her now?" Demas asked. Suddenly the energy ceased. "Nevermind."

"She probably found her friend." Orion offered.

"It is likely." Eckum agreed. "Often times, one becomes unable to control their power when they are emotional."

"Whatever happened..." Demas said with a frown. "Things just got a whole lot worse."

* * *

A/N: I know, I know; the last bit didn't exactly excite my beta-reader either, but it was the best I could come up with at the time. And by "come up with" I mean blatantly stole from one of the movies. Of course since I really like most of the movies and am currently trying to work them in when I can, I figured it was alright. For those of you who are wondering when cell will show up... you have a long wait. I have excluded; sorry to the Mirai no Trunks fans; the time machine. I have always wondered what it would be like to continue a non-altered timeline to its end... Even if I never plan to end this series. According to the data I have, Incomplete Cell should not have revealed himself any earlier than the Babidi Saga; and that is pushing it. I was thinking about having him;since he will be too weak to pose a real threat; become a sort of initiation test for the next generation of Z Fighters. Currently there are four - Trunks, Goten, and two originals that I can't mention yet. As mentioned on my Profile page: I accept any and all suggestions regarding new characters; heroes or villains; and pairings among non-paired characters. And for those wondering... Gohan's future is not written in stone yet. Wink, wink. But enough of my ramblings, if you want to contact me, just PM-Private Message- me through Fanfiction net and I seriously will consider your suggestions... Heck the entire Wildfire cast was created by my beta-reader!


	61. Super Android 18

Super Android 18

Android 18 had been 17 years old when she was transformed into a machine. She had spent several years as a teenage girl, something she enjoyed. But now she looked like she was in her thirties. She was going to hate being old.

---------------------------

"We need to get to West City." Demas said.

"Or what's left of it..." Orion added.

Demas looked at him curiously, but Orion just shook his head. Eckum held out his hands. Orion removed the cuffs for him and fell to his knees.

"It doesn't look like you're going to be any help." Demas muttered as he lifted his friend to his feet.

"He can be very useful." Eckum smiled. "I can temporarily give him back his energy."

"Really?" Orion nearly jumped for joy.

"Yes, but it will only last for a few minutes. If you can stay consious until we get there, then I can help you fight."

Orion smiled and wrapped his arm around Demas' neck. The three flew toward their destination as fast as they could, Eckum pulling far ahead. Which, of course, meant that he was first to arrive.

18 smiled an evil smile as he landed. "You have come back. But I am now much stronger than my brother was."

"I know." He replied. "And I expect you to try and kill me. But first, I must ask for you to wait until the others arrive."

"Not a chance."

She rushed at him and swung. He dodged with incredible speed and kicked her in the ribs. She took the attack with a smile. His foot felt like it was broken.

"Not good..." He muttered as he dodged her attacks.

Several tense minutes went by as she tried to hit him. Demas arrived with Orion and joined the fight, punching her as hard as he could. Orion fell to his knees and watched.

Eckum dodged another attack and turned to Demas. "Keep her busy for about five seconds."

"Easy for you to say." Demas replied. "What's she made of?!"

Eckum flew away from her and knelt next to Orion. She tried to follow but Demas cut her off. She punched him in the gut, causing him to fly back past the other two.

Eckum flicked his wrist, causing what looked like a hand of cards, made out of energy, to appear. "Make every second count." He threw the cards at Orion.

Orion felt the cards sink into his chest and stood as he felt his energy return. Then, without warning, he transformed to Raging. He looked down at himself and watched in amazement as his muscles bulged farther than they should have.

"What the..."

"You are maxed out." Eckum said as he dodged another blow from 18.

Demas rose from the pile of rubble he had landed in. He looked at Orion and back down at himself. "He's bigger..." The two Wildfires rejoined the fight.

18 was pissed now. She was being beaten by a man who could barely move ten seconds earlier. The man who had killed her brother was becoming a real pain. She kicked Demas in the side and punched Orion in the gut. At least she could hit the two of them.

Eckum smiled as she ignored him. Now was his chance to maybe do some damage. He charged a small orb of energy in each hand, and pushed both into her abdomen. She slid back two feet from the force and turned to look at him. He smiled innocently and began charging more energy.

Orion saw what Eckum had done, and decided it wasn't a bad idea. He wrapped his energy around his arms, just as he had with 17, and began punching her with full force. Demas jumped back and charged his Raging Blast. Eckum jumped into the air as it was let loose. The beam pushed 18 into Orion's outstretched fist.

18 screamed as the attacks actually did damage. Orion's eyes widened as she phased out from between the attacks. Demas' attack hit Orion and knocked him to the ground. 18 appeared behind Demas and grabbed both arms. She pulled them backward with incredible force. The Wildfire prince screamed in pain as his arms snapped.

She let go and turned back to Eckum. Demas dropped to his knees as the blood flowed from his arms. He was out of the fight for now. Eckum dodged some more attacks, and was hit by some as well. He couldn't keep dodging her if he wanted to get a hit in. He continued his orb assault as Orion rejoined the fight.

After several minutes, Orion's muscles relaxed. He punched 18 in the gut and reverted to normal form. She smiled at him and punched him in the face. The Wildfire flew backward through several pieces of building. He slid to a stop nearly a mile away.

"Ow..." He muttered as his vision became blurry.

Eckum was all alone now. He took a hit in the face, that nearly broke his neck, and threw an orb at her. She laughed at the pathetic attempt and punched him into the ground. She pointed a hand at him and began charging energy. Eckum looked up at her in time to see a large black beam, outlined in red, wash over her.


	62. Beyond Raging

Beyond Raging

18 scowled as the attack hit her. She was in serious pain, but she didn't seem to be taking any permanent damage. As the attack finished, she looked up at her new attacker. A woman with the same turquiose skin as Eckum. Her purple hair fluttered in the wind as she prepared for another attack.

18 smiled as she noticed the large belly. This would be enjoyable. She flew up and punched the woman in the stomach with everything she had. The woman doubled over and plummeted to the ground. Eckum blasted from the ground and caught her. He looked at 18 with disgust. He lowered himself to the ground and sat the woman down.

He brushed the hair out of her face and stood. "You know..." He said as he turned to 18. "That's not good for the baby!"

18 was shocked at the power that hit her. A thin black beam blasted right through her stomach. She looked down at the small hole and scowled. She charged energy into both hands and fired it at him. A look of shock crossed her face as his mouth opened. He swallowed the entire attack.

He burped and smiled at her. He performed the same motions she had, sending the same attack back at her. She raised her hand, confident that she could stop her own attack. Unfortunately for her, his version was stronger. Her arm disintegrated as the beam blasted through it.

Eckum fell to his knees as the last of his energy left him. What was he going to do now?

-------------------------

Goku woke with a start. Something was wrong, he could feel it in his bones. He stood and woke the others. "We need to go."

"Why?" Raditz asked. "We still have three more weeks before we're supposed to leave."

"I know, but... It's just a feeling."

Gohan looked at his dad. "Do you think Demas and Orion are dead?"

"I'm not sure, but we can't risk waiting any longer. If we can't beat them now, we may never."

"I agree." Tien said as he stepped toward the door. "Let's go."

---------------------------

Demas had watched the entire fight, but hadn't really seen it. All he saw now was 18. He didn't even feel the blood pumping from his arms. His flaming pupils shifted between red and orange, and his muscles bulged slightly.

Eckum coughed up blood as 18 punched him with her remaining arm. She was not going to let him live. He prayed that his family would live. He was sure he was going to die. 'At least I won't destroy the universe...' He thought as he lost consiousness.

Demas stood with great difficulty, his eyes locked on 18. His aura flared brightly as he stepped toward her. She had her back turned and had no idea he was even up. His hair seemed to lengthen a few inches as he continued to walk forward. As he stepped within striking distance, she heard the crunch of rubble.

She turned slowly to see him scowling at her. He headbutted her and she flew backward ten feet. He stepped on Eckum as he continued toward her. As she stood, he kneed her in the gut. She slid back a foot and was kneed again. His arms may have been useless, but he was stronger than her now. He headbutted her again and she stumbled backward.

Both turned their heads as they heard voices yelling. "Kame..." Three Super Saiyans all had their hands to their right sides. "Hame..." The cried in unison. "HA!"

The intensity of the three beams heated the very air around them as they combined. Demas was thrown backward as the huge beam hit 18. She held out her hand in a futile attempt to block it. She watched in wonder as her skin cracked and chipped away. Within a few seconds, she was gone, no trace of her left.

The Saiyans dropped to the ground and Goku grabbed Demas. "Where's the other one?"

"Dead..." He managed before passing out.

Goku lifted him to his shoulder as he reverted to normal. "Grab anyone who's alive... We're paying a visit to Korin."


	63. Random Acts of Violence

Random Acts of Violence

Demas opened his eyes slowly. He felt like he had been sleeping for days. He noticed the tiled ceiling of Korin's tower as memories of the fight came flooding back. He immediately flexed his biceps and was relieved that they responded. Though still in pain, he could feel his energy returning.

"Demas is up!" Gohan called out.

As the Wildfire sat up, he looked around. The Saiyans were staring at him. He smiled and continued to take a head count. Orion lay beside him, still sleeping. He turned and saw Tien's back, a pair of legs visible beyond him.

"Who's that?" He asked as Goku knelt down near him.

"We were hoping you could tell us. Him and the girl were found near you."

Demas remembered the strange man in handcuffs and frowned. "He's an escaped prisoner. I don't remember a girl though."

"Prisoner? From where?"

"Not sure..." Demas shook his head. "He said he blew it up, wherever it was."

Tien turned toward them. "That would explain the girl's handcuffs. Funny though, you don't see many pregnant prisoners."

Demas couldn't help but smile. Despite all that had happened, especially to Tien, the three eyed man was in light spirits. It seemed that, at least for now, everyone was just happy it was over.

Orion grunted and rolled over. He opened his eyes and smiled. "I guess we won..."

Demas laughed. "Either that or Other World looks a lot like Earth." Immediately he regretted his words.

Gohan looked at his feet. "We'll just have to ask Mom..." Before anyone could stop him, the young boy had flown away.

Demas looked at Goku. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"It's alright. He'll be okay. He needs some time to grieve... We all do."

-----------------------------------

'Why did you die Mom?' Gohan flew without purpose. 'Why does everyone I care about die? I don't care if they can come back, I still don't want them to die!'

Without realizing it, the young boy had fired a large energy blast at a mountain, causing it to crumble. He landed amongst the debris and stared at what he had done. The destruction had made him feel a little better. He surged his energy to the surface, causing the rubble to shake. With a little effort, he ascended to Super Saiyan.

Rocks flew away from him as he continued to surge his power. The ground underneath him seemed to bend under his power, creating a shallow crater. He clenched his fists in anger. He bellowed a loud scream as a bluish-white energy surrounded his fists. Then he stopped. The energy faded and his aura fell. He reverted to normal and surveyed his work. The ground had cracked for several yards in every direction.

He felt better now. This was his spot now; a place for him to vent. He raised a finger and sumoned a small amount of energy. He then carved a small symbol into the crater. He wasn't sure where he had seen it before, but it seemed to be the right symbol for this spot. Unknown to him however, Likab watched from the edge of the Lookout. The Guardian stared over the edge as the boy flew away.

"Mr Popo?"

"Yes sir?"

"Do you have any idea why that boy carved Frieza's symbol into the ground?"

------------------------------------

Demas stared at Eckum, occasionally looking at the man's companion. "You know," He said after a while. "We should probably take her cuffs off. He'll probably do it when he wakes up anyway."

"We can stop him until he answers our questions." Raditz answered.

"No, he's too fast. We should take them off."

"Besides," Orion added. "I bet he'll cooperate with us. He didn't seem like a bad guy."

"He blew up a prison!"

"Oh let it go. I'm sure there was a good reason."

"Yeah, to escape."

"Exactly..." Everyone turned as the turquoise man sat up. "Where am I?"

"You, along with the rest of us, are at Korin's tower." Demas told him.

Goku smiled at the man. "We brought you here for healing."

"Thanks, I guess." He looked at the woman. "How is she?"

"She'll be fine." Tien answered.

"And the baby?"

"Alive. She shouldn't have been fighting."

"I tried to tell her..."

"I hate to interrupt," Raditz said loudly. "But we have some questions for you."

"Shoot."

"Who are you guys, and why did you help?"

"My name is Eckum, that's Kyr. We're from the planet Terrania. I helped because I didn't want anyone else to die."

"What are you doing on Earth?"

Demas raised his hand. "I can answer that. They're trying not to be arrested again."

"Actually," Eckum shot back. "We're not. I was exiled..."

"Isn't everybody..." Orion muttered.

"We're just looking for a place to live."

Orion chuckled. "Sounds like someone else I know."

Demas looked at him. "Except I was never in prison."

Eckum smiled. "And I've never tried to kill my best friend over something he couldn't control."

"Stay outta my head you freak!" Demas stepped toward Eckum.

Goku quickly stepped in between the two. "Hey now, wait just a minute. What are you two talking about?"

"Absolutely nothing." Eckum answered. "It's apparent that we aren't welcome on this planet. We'll be leaving as soon as possible."

Korin ambled out from a side room and smiled. "You are welcome here." Demas glared at him. "I suggest everyone else leave. It's becoming too tense in here."

"He's right. Why don't you guys go." Goku watched everyone else leave then turned back to Eckum. "I'm not here to judge. How about you start from the top."


	64. A Break From it All

A Break From it All

"That's one heck of a story." Goku laughed as he stood up.

Eckum watched the man stretch. "That's it? You don't want to kill me?"

"Why would I want to kill you?"

"I just told you that I'm part of an experiment to destroy an entire planet."

"Oh that... We have a couple of those."

What do you mean?"

"Well Orion has some wierd connection to an experiment. And Kami and King Kai told us all about Bojak. You make three now."

Eckum stared in astonishment. "You're telling me there are more experiments?"

"Yeah, you didn't know?"

"No. I was told about myself... and the other half. I had no idea there were more."

"Well if you'd like to know more, I think Orion might be able to help. Or I might be able to arrange a meeting with King Kai."

"You keep saying 'King', but I thought the four Kais were equals."

"Really? I only know one. He calls himself King Kai. I guess we could ask him about it."

-----------------------------

Demas stood in front of the cave he called home. As he stared off into the horizon, Orion walked out and stood next to him.

"You know..." The prince muttered. "A lot of people died these last couple days."

"I know." Orion responded sadly.

"I wish there was something we could do to help them."

"But without the Dragonballs..."

"When I first met Goku, he mentioned something to me. He said that trouble seemed to follow him. Thinking back over my life, I think it follows me too."

"It seems that way lately, huh?"

"Do you think we're putting this planet in danger? What if we really are bringing danger?"

"It just seems that way because you do all the fighting. If you weren't a fighter it would be different."

"Maybe... I just feel like I need some time away from everything. Even when I was homeless, I still spent most of my time fighting someone."

"I guess the universe just isn't a safe place."

"I'm going for a walk. Don't wait up for me."

----------------------------

Tien threw a slab of concrete to the side. Everyone else had gone home, but the three eyed man still felt he had a job to do. Everyone they cared for was dead. Tien couldn't live with himself if he didn't at least look for survivors. West city was unrecognizable, but he had still managed to find the remains of Capsule corp. Now he searched for evidence of life.

Hours of searching provided no results. Surely he should have found Bulma's parents by now. And from what he had been told, Trunks should be there too. Where could they be? He screamed in frustration as he tried, once again, to sense life in the city.

"Not one person survived. So many people dead..."

---------------------------

Yamcha stepped forward as his name was called. King Enma smiled down at him. "You have quite an impressive resume. We have special arrangements for heroes."

"No offense sir, but I'm no hero."

"Nonsense, you are a great fighter who has helped save the Earth several times. You are to be rewarded."

"The only thing I want is to be with my family."

"What's that?"

"No reward could be better than getting to see Bulma and Trunks again."

"I'm sorry, but I can't send you back to Earth."

"They aren't on Earth, they're dead."

"Ah, I see. Then you wish to be placed in Heaven?"

"Yes."

"Well, the rules are very clear on how heroes are to be treated, but I certainly don't wan't another Likab on my hands... I suppose I can allow you to reside in Heaven. But know this, you can not change your mind."

"I won't."

The ruler of the dead stamped a piece of paper on his desk. "Then off with you, to Heaven."

-------------------------

'Tien?' Goku called out telepathically to his friend.

'Yes, what is it Goku?'

'Our new friend has just told me something that you might find interesting.'

'What is it?'

'Apparently, before he helped Orion against the android, Eckum helped several hundred people flee the city.'

'Thank Enma. I was beginning to lose hope.'

'He says they're a few hundred miles south of your location. You should see if you can help them. I'm on my way.'

Tien smiled. At last he had found a silver lining in the dark clouds that seemed to hang over his head. "Thank Enma..."


	65. I'm Sorry

I'm Sorry

Bulma stared into the distance. Her hand brushed the grass as she sat in silence. It hadn't been long since she had died, but it felt like an eternity without Yamcha. A single tear fell from her eye as she remembered his last words to her.

"I'm sorry."

Bulma froze. Slowly, she turned her head. Staring down at her was Yamcha.

"I shouldn't have said it." He said as he sat next to her.

Hot tears burned her face as she stared at her former lover. This couldn't be real.

"I was a jerk. I could never apologize enough..."

"How are you..."

"Someone attacked Goku's house. I think Trunks survived."

The tears flowed faster. "I can't believe it..."

"I can't believe your talking to me? You should hate me."

She buried her face in his chest. "Oh Yamcha, I could never hate you."

-------------------------

The survivors of the Android attack relocated to other cities, moving in with friends and relatives. Tien retreated to the temple that had been his and Chiaotzu's home for most of their lives. Bulma's parents took their grandson and rebuilt their home. The remaining Saiyans rebuilt their homes. The Terranians were given permission to stay at Korin's Tower for as long as they wanted. And Demas took a break.

After much deliberation, Eckum had agreed to let Demas use his ship. The Prince of Wildfire left the planet mere days after the attack. He would not be dissuaded from his journey. He needed a break. Orion wished him safe passage and secluded himself in his cave.

The next few months were dim for the heroes of Earth. Eventually, despite having no contact from Demas, spirits were lifted. Likab telepathically contacted everyone and requested their presence at the Lookout.

Once everyone had gathered, he began his explanation. "I'm glad everyone made it. I have good news. I was able to fix the Dragonballs."

"Are you sure?" Raditz asked excitedly.

"I am sure. However there is a problem. Only one wish can be granted."

"Ever?" Goku asked confused.

"I was able to converse with Piccolo these past few months. He thinks the Dragonballs are malfunctioning because they were not made by a Namekian. After this next wish they will cease to function again."

"So we'll just have to be specific." Tien said sternly.

"Yes. You will need to travel to Planet Namek in order to make any wishes from now on."

"We understand." Goku replied. "Where are the Dragonballs now?"

"I have them. Follow me."

--------------------------

Yamcha was happy again. He never wanted to let go of his girl again. Bulma sighed and nuzzled closer to him. As she did, she noticed him fading.

"Yamcha, what's happening?"

Yamcha looked down at himself. "They're wishing me back. I wish they wouldn't."

Bulma pulled away, a tear in her eye. "You have to go."

"What? You want me to go?"

"Of course not... But what about Trunks? He needs his father."

Yamcha looked away from her. "You're right, but..."

"No buts. I order you to go back to Earth."

They embraced one last time. "I'll be back someday."

"You better be old and wrinkled the next time I see you."

Despite the situation, Yamcha chuckled. And then he was gone. The next thing he saw was a wall. As he stood, he heard a grunt from behind him. He turned to see Chi-Chi rising as well.

She looked at him with amazement. "Are we still dead?"

"Nope. The others must have wished us back, I sensed the Dragon for a second there."

Tears formed in her eyes.

"Yamcha!" Puar's squeaky voice rang out.

"How's it goin' Puar?"

"It's good to see you again." Puar sighed.

The three of them stood there in silence until Goku and Gohan arrived. They really were back...


	66. Six Months Later

Six Months Later.

Goku flew toward the new West City. It wasn't as busy as it used to be. The quiet streets were the ideal place to live. Eckum and Kyr had relocated here after the birth of their child. Nobody had seen them since Demas left, but Korin filled them in on the rest. Goku was happy that he would finally get to see the new baby.

He landed gently on the front lawn of a small house. This was the address that Korin had given him. As he raised a hand to knock, the door opened.

"Oh, hello." A woman said as she bumped into him.

"Uh, hi. I was told this was the home of Eckum and Kyr."

"It is." The woman smiled as he stared.

"Are they home?"

"Of course we are." A man said as he stepped into the doorway.

Goku looked him over. He was about his height, with sandy brown hair. "I think we might be talking about different people."

The man laughed and motioned for his guest to enter. "Come in and I'll explain." Goku entered and the man closed the door. "Kyr's late for work, so she won't be joining us."

"I'm confused. How is it that you have the same names as the people I'm looking for?"

The man laughed again as he vanished. In his place was the turquoise man Goku remembered. "We are the people you're looking for. Obviously it would take days to explain all of our abilities, so we left some parts out. What you already know is that we can read minds. Terranians are born with psychic powers."

"I still don't understand."

"All powers evolve over time. What you just saw was a mental projection. We create an image and everyone around us sees it. We implant the image into your mind. It helps us blend in."

"I guess that makes sense. But there's still something I don't get. Why did you put it in my mind?"

"Convenience. I could implant the image in certain minds only, but it's easier to generalize. Excluding you takes more concentration. Would you like something to drink?"

As Goku followed Eckum to the kitchen, he thought of something. "How come Kyr is working?"

"It is easier to survive on this planet if you have an income."

"I get that. What I mean is that Chi-Chi keeps telling me I need to get a job."

"Oh that. I have noticed that most of the homemakers on this planet are women. We have different traditions where we come from." Eckum handed Goku a glass of water. "I'd offer you something else, but I have a slight intolerance to sugar. It makes for an interesting diet on your planet. So what brings you around?"

"I wanted to see how you guys were doing. Korin told me you had the baby."

A warm smile formed on the alien's lips. "Yes. Would you like to see her?"

"Yeah. You know Chi-Chi's pregnant."

"Congratulations." They made their way down a hall. "Her name is Laura. We liked the way it sounded."

Goku smiled down at the baby. "She has more hand blades than you."

"And they're closer to the wrists than mine. She's going to be a strong fighter like her mother. That worries me a little..."

"Why?"

"You know what I am, what I'm capable of. What if I passed something to her? I don't want her to be like me."

"I know you're worried, but you shouldn't be. Just look at me. I'm supposed to be this heartless killer, but I'm not. When I first met Raditz he told me about the Saiyans. He told me that I was supposed to be like him, but that's not how I turned out. I think I might even be rubbing off on him. It's not what you are that matters... It's what you do."

"Maybe..."

-------------------------

Raditz laughed as Vegeta performed a backflip. His blonde hair stood out against the darkened tree line behind him.

"What's so funny?" The smaller Saiyan fumed.

"I spent years trying to come close to your strength, and now I'm helping you catch up to me."

"You aren't that far ahead of me. Besides, from what you've told me, you had two extra years to train. Now quit laughing and fight!"

--------------------------

Gohan stood in his spot. His muscles quivered as light blue energy pulsed in his hand. He could feel it; soon he would perfect the technique. With a grunt he threw the orb at a nearby tree. He smiled as the tree exploded into a shower of splinters. Pulling forth another blue orb, he vaporized the splinters as they fell.

--------------------------

Demas took a sip from his cup. He had come to the planet to restock on food. Now, as he sat in the bar, he listened to the many conversations around him. He had grown accustomed to someone chatting with him everyday. He had been getting lonely.

As he heard the word Terrania uttered a few tables away, he took interest. This was his chance to learn more about that annoying little man.

"I can't believe he went there." A woman laughed.

Her companion, a burly looking fellow, shook his head. "If he had any sense at all, he'd stay away. Those Planetary Protectors are nuts."

"Don't I know it. But he said he was getting a good payment for it. Something about his father wantin' one for study or something."

"I thought he was an orphan."

"I'm just telling you what I heard."

Demas strained to hear their conversation as the room got louder. Could they have been talking about The Fathers? He had to know. He stood and slowly made his way past their table.

"...Probably kill 'em all." Demas heard the end of the man's sentence.

"Ya think? I'm not sure he's that strong. I'll bet he destroys a few towns though."

"Whatever. Well, I gotta be goin'. I got a job myself."

"Where?"

"Next town over. I figure some local stuff'll be good for me."

Demas had heard all he was going to hear about Terrania. He decided to head there himself. Maybe he could find out more about The Fathers.

--------------------------

Orion stopped as he noticed a blinking light. He checked and realized that it was his communications panel. A small red light blinked just under the monitor. The only person allowed to contact him was Demas. His pulse quickened. Either Demas was coming home, or he was in trouble.

He pushed the play button and Demas' face snapped into view. Unfortunately the picture was fuzzy and, upon further inspection, he found the sound cut out in places. He listened to it several times to make sure he got as much as possible.

"...think... Terrania in... Going... Fathers... Maybe... help..."

Terrania was the home planet of Eckum and Kyr. And The Fathers seemed to be popping up a lot lately. Demas probably meant that he could help, but Orion decided to take the message as it sounded. He was going to send help.


	67. Three Men

Three Men...

Orion paced his training room. Eckum had agreed to go help Demas, but he had insisted that no one else come. It was too dangerous.

"The Planetary Protectors aren't going to be happy to see me. The less people the better. I'm sure he doesn't even need help anyway. He's about as strong as me with that new transformation of his."

So the little Terranian flew off in a ship that he built from spare parts. Orion was amazed at the speed he could move. In less than a day the ship was done and in space. It would take almost a month to reach Terrania, and Demas might not even be there when he arrived, but there was nothing more they could do.

-------------------------

Demas watched the display as it changed. He was less than three weeks away from Terrania. He hoped he would arrive in time to learn something useful from the mysterious man working for The Fathers.

-------------------------

A single ship approached an asteroid field. In it was Gafner: the self proclaimed greatest Bounty Hunter in the universe. His muscular frame filled his tiny ship. He would be glad to stretch his legs for a few minutes once he docked.

A large slightly off color asteroid floated into view. He steered they ship slightly to the left as he neared it. Suddenly the asteroid was gone and he was staring at a large space station. He landed in an open docking bay and waited. A green light blinked on as the doors were closed. He hopped out of his craft and stretched.

"Enough dawdling." A voice echoed through the speakers in the room. "We are getting impatient."

"Yeah, yeah." Gafner muttered as he slipped on a jacket. It was always so cold in this place. As he reached the lab where his employers waited he cringed. The tiny Terranians were severely deformed. He normally liked the way Terranians looked, their appearance not too different from his own, but these two were horrific.

The Fathers smiled as their newest pawn entered the room. His blue skin seemed to glow in the light of the artificial sun. He was strong enough to get past Terrania's defenses, and his genetic code was close enough to theirs that he would make an excellent test subject when his job was done.

"Please, sit down." Both said in unison.

"Why are you talking like that?"

"A mere side effect. You'll get used to it."

"Not likely..."

"Silence. We demand a progress report."

Gafner thought for a moment. How could he be silent and talk at the same time?

"Well?"

"Uh..." The Bounty Hunter was nervous. "Your initial target escaped."

"How... Unfortunate."

"But I have a plan."

"To travel to the planet and abduct another."

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"We are watching your every move."

"Then why..."

"Silence. We were testing your trustworthiness. We agree with your plan. However we request several subjects if you are going that far."

"That'll raise the fee."

"Of course you will be very well rewarded for your trouble."

"Great. Well then, I should get going."

"Then off with you." The Fathers smiled as Gafner walked through the doors. "Very well rewarded..."

Three Men...

Orion paced his training room. Eckum had agreed to go help Demas, but he had insisted that no one else come. It was too dangerous.

"The Planetary Protectors aren't going to be happy to see me. The less people the better. I'm sure he doesn't even need help anyway. He's about as strong as me with that new transformation of his."

So the little Terranian flew off in a ship that he built from spare parts. Orion was amazed at the speed he could move. In less than a day the ship was done and in space. It would take almost a month to reach Terrania, and Demas might not even be there when he arrived, but there was nothing more they could do.

-------------------------

Demas watched the display as it changed. He was less than three weeks away from Terrania. He hoped he would arrive in time to learn something useful from the mysterious man working for The Fathers.

-------------------------

A single ship approached an asteroid field. In it was Gafner: the self proclaimed greatest Bounty Hunter in the universe. His muscular frame filled his tiny ship. He would be glad to stretch his legs for a few minutes once he docked.

A large slightly off color asteroid floated into view. He steered they ship slightly to the left as he neared it. Suddenly the asteroid was gone and he was staring at a large space station. He landed in an open docking bay and waited. A green light blinked on as the doors were closed. He hopped out of his craft and stretched.

"Enough dawdling." A voice echoed through the speakers in the room. "We are getting impatient."

"Yeah, yeah." Gafner muttered as he slipped on a jacket. It was always so cold in this place. As he reached the lab where his employers waited he cringed. The tiny Terranians were severely deformed. He normally liked the way Terranians looked, their appearance not too different from his own, but these two were horrific.

The Fathers smiled as their newest pawn entered the room. His blue skin seemed to glow in the light of the artificial sun. He was strong enough to get past Terrania's defenses, and his genetic code was close enough to theirs that he would make an excellent test subject when his job was done.

"Please, sit down." Both said in unison.

"Why are you talking like that?"

"A mere side effect. You'll get used to it."

"Not likely..."

"Silence. We demand a progress report."

Gafner thought for a moment. How could he be silent and talk at the same time?

"Well?"

"Uh..." The Bounty Hunter was nervous. "Your initial target escaped."

"How... Unfortunate."

"But I have a plan."

"To travel to the planet and abduct another."

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"We are watching your every move."

"Then why..."

"Silence. We were testing your trustworthiness. We agree with your plan. However we request several subjects if you are going that far."

"That'll raise the fee."

"Of course you will be very well rewarded for your trouble."

"Great. Well then, I should get going."

"Then off with you." The Fathers smiled as Gafner walked through the doors. "Very well rewarded..."


	68. One Destination

...One Destination =============

Demas stepped out onto the lush landscape. Blue grass bent beneath his feet as he stepped forward. A forest of huge trees blocked his left. Crimson leaves swayed in the breeze. In the distance he could see a city. It reminded him of planet Wildfire before the volcanic activity. The colors were off, but it definately looked like the images in history textbooks. He felt comfortable here.

He closed his eyes and felt for large powers. While no one here was quite as powerful as Eckum, they definately felt like they could handle themselves. He didn't feel anyone that didn't belong, but he felt the four that were heading toward him. He opened his eyes and smiled as they landed.

"Hello."

The four women stared at him. One stepped forward and spoke. "What is your business here?"

"I heard someone was coming here to make trouble. I thought maybe I could talk him out of it."

"Who?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but he should be here soon."

"And you know this how?"

"I heard his buddies talking. He left before I did. I wonder what's taking him so long."

"We will have to detain you until we can verify your story."

"I guess that makes sense."

Suddenly an energy blast hit Demas in the back of the head. Gafner stepped out from the tree line. "I'll have to find a way to thank him."

Demas pushed himself off the ground. "And why is that?"

Gafner stared in amazement. "I can't believe you survived that."

"I'm tougher than I look. Now why are you thanking me?" Demas slowly dropped into a fighting stance.

"Because..." Gafner answered as he removed his shirt. "I've been trying to get one of these girls out here for days, and you got four in a few minutes."

"Is it that hard for you to find a date?"

Gafner laughed. "Do I look like I want a date? Although that one is kinda cute."

One of the women shuddered as she was pointed at. Demas chuckled as he waited. "You aren't going to hurt anyone."

"That is where you're wrong." Gafner lunged at Demas.

The two exchanged blows as the women watched. One of them frowned. "Should we help him?"

The leader shrugged. "Why? We aren't sure if he's worth it."

Demas blocked a punch and threw an energy orb at his opponent. Gafner took the blast and continued his assault. Slowly he beat Demas back. As they neared the trees, Gafner grabbed Demas by the throat. Demas struggled to pry the man's fingers from his windpipe.

Gafner lifted him off the ground and threw him into the trees. Demas cried out in pain as he felt pieces of wood embed themselves in his flesh. He rose to one knee and stared at the smiling man. This fight would require a transformation. As he stood his aura flared. The splinters shot from his body and sank into the surrounding trees. Demas welcomed the rush of power as he stepped out of the forest.

Gafner continued to smile. "I see you're done warming up."

Demas smiled back. "Yeah. Let's get started for real."

Gafner punched Demas and cartwheeled into the forest. Demas laughed and gave chase.

"So we're hiding now?!"

A blast missed him by inches. "Who's hiding? I'm just picking up your trash."

"What?" Demas furrowed his brow as he saw a flash of blue. He fired a blast and followed. He felt for the man's power and sensed him in the sky. He flew into the air. As he emerged from the canopy, he was struck by something very large.

Gafner's laughter echoed in his throbbing head. "I can't believe you left this perfectly good tree lying around!"

Demas stared up through the trees. He didn't want to get hit in the head again.

Gafner stared down at the forest. "Now who's hiding?!"

Movement to the right and he swung. His makeshift bat connected with a second tree. Before he could stop the swing, Demas bolted up and kneed him in the back. The force of the blow caused him to let go of his weapon. He turned as the two trees crashed to the ground.

"You're resourceful. Too bad that won't be enough to win."

Demas felt the rise in power. This guy was done playing around. Even in his Raging form this was going to take a lot of effort. He was really hoping that he wouldn't have to go beyond again.

"I won't know until I try."

"What are you blabbing about?"

Demas smiled as he flew at Gafner. The two clashed in an amazing display of strength.

Meanwhile, down on the ground, the four Terranian women watched the fight with interest.

"They sure do use a lot of physical attacks." One of them observed.

"Yeah." Another one laughed. "This is pretty entertaining. Anyone got a camera?"

Back up in the air, Demas blocked a punch and threw a couple of his own. Gafner grabbed Demas' hands and sent an energy charge through them. Demas returned the attack and he was released. Demas pulled his hands back and began charging his Raging Blast. As orange orbs pulsed in his hands, his vision changed. He stared at his opponent. Surrounding Gafner was a purely visible aura, except it was a much stronger aura than it should have been. Demas shook his head and pulled both hands forward.

Gafner chuckled. "Problem?"

Demas faked a smile. "I think my mind is playing tricks on me. For a second I thought you weren't a weakling."

"You are a cocky one. Unfortunately for you, I can see the worry in your eyes."

Demas fired his blast and Gafner took the hit. After a few seconds, Demas stopped his attack. He could still see Gafner's huge aura. This did not bode well.

"Hey ladies..." Demas continued to stare at Gafner as he spoke. "I might need a little help with this guy."

Gafner frowned. "Do not help him. He chose to fight me on his own."

The four Terranian women stared at the fighters. Not one spoke or showed any emotion. This wasn't their fight.

Demas cursed under his breath. He was going to have to go beyond Raging again. And that might not even be enough. His aura flared as his muscles bulged.

Gafner continued to frown. "Another transformation? This is getting annoying. I will end this before you can finish."

Demas tried to block the attacks as his transformation neared its end, but Gafner was now using his full power. Within seconds Demas was in more pain than he had ever been. After what seemed like an eternity his transformation was complete. He pulled back his right fist and was punched in the gut. Genuine fear crossed his face as he fell to the ground. His body reverted to its normal appearance. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

Gafner smiled and looked to the women on the ground. "Now that he's out of the way, let's get down to business."

"What business do you have here?" The leader asked.

"Why, you of course. I have been hired to take you from the planet."

"We aren't going anywhere. You have wasted your time."

"I'm afraid you have no choice. I will take you."

The four women readied themselves for battle as the man flew at them. 


	69. The Weapon Emerges

The Weapon Emerges ================

Eckum stepped out of his ship. It was just as he remembered, right down to the feeling that he didn't belong. He closed his eyes and began searching for Demas. He couldn't find him, but there was a group of Planetary Protectors fighting someone very strong. It was worth checking out.

As he neared the fight, he realized why he hadn't sensed Demas. His power was barely there. It was almost as if he was dying. Eckum flew to the faded power. As he landed he saw the body of the Wildfire. He wasn't conscious and his breathing was labored. Eckum lowered himself to one knee and placed his hands gently on Demas' body. Within minutes, Demas had regained consciousness.

Demas looked up at Eckum. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I seem to be saving your life."

Demas thought for a moment. "Who else is with you?"

"No one. I'm all you got."

"Damn. This guy is way stronger than me."

"Even after you transform?"

"Yeah."

"I guess that means we'll have to work together. The two of us should be able to beat him."

"We don't have a choice. Let's go."

The two ran to the open field where the Terranian women were struggling for their lives. Gafner was turned the other way and had not seen them yet. Without waiting for Demas, Eckum jumped at the man and performed a roundhouse kick to the head. Gafner stumbled forward and grabbed his head.

Turning around he saw Demas. "How is it that you're still able to fight?!"

Demas smiled. "You can't keep me down."

"Hey," Eckum called out from above Gafner. "I'm the reason you're even awake."

Gafner looked up and smiled. "Another Terranian. My employers will be most pleased."

Eckum smiled. "I hate to burst your bubble, but your employers have done enough to me."

While Gafner tried to figure out the cryptic words, Eckum began his assault. Demas took advantage of the brief lack of attention he was recieving and transformed. He joined the assault on Gafner. The four women slumped to the ground, glad for the break the were recieving.

"So what do you call that? Raging 2?" Eckum asked Demas as they fought.

"I'm not really sure. I was thinking of Tireless Raging."

"Whatever works."

Gafner laughed. "You are losing, and yet you act like you are winning."

Eckum smiled. "I wouldn't say we were losing. It seems pretty even to me."

Demas was about to agree until his vision changed again. He could once again see the power of Gafner. "Eckum, we have a problem. He's not using his full strength yet."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"It's hard to explain. I can see his full power, his potential. I'm not entirely sure why."

Eckum smiled at Demas. "Either you're crazy or you're brilliant. Either way, I'll take your word for it. So what do you suggest we do?"

"It doesn't matter what you try." Gafner said as he landed on the ground. "I am stronger than both of you."

Eckum and Demas landed as well. Gafner thrust both hands in front of his body and fired a massive energy beam at them. Demas launched a Raging Blast to intercept. Eckum jumped closer to Demas and raised his right hand. Inches from Demas' beam, he launched his own. Black energy spiraled around Demas' orange beam.

The beams met with incredible force. They pushed back and forth, neither side gaining ground. As Demas and Eckum pushed with all of their strength, something strange happened. Demas' body grew, muscles bulging way beyond what seemed possible. Blue streaked through his hair and the size of his beam doubled. At the same time a thin layer of dark grey fur sprouted across Eckum's body and his beam doubled in size. For less than a second the two warriors were stronger than they would have thought possible.

Their beams washed over Gafner's. He was thrown to the ground as the beams dissapated. Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the power was gone. Demas stared down at his body. He seemed to be back in Tireless form. The surge of power must have been a preview of what he could accomplish with more training. Eckum, on the other hand, knew where his surge came from. He watched himself shrink to the size of a child, his hair growing out to his ankles.

Demas looked at him. "What happened to you?"

Eckum stared in horror as his transformation became complete. His pupiless eyes registered a terror beyond imagining. "No..." The fur was gone, but the power it represented was still there.

"Are you alright?"

"It's happening, the Shi form..."

"What the hell is the Shi form?"

"I'm half of a weapon designed to destroy this planet. This is the form I take when I access the power."

"So you're stronger? That's great news. Let's finish him off."

"No, I can't. I have to revert. I don't want to destroy my people!"

Gafner rose and punched Demas in the jaw. Demas punched back. "You're only half right?" He recieved a punch to the gut. "Half a weapon is useless without its partner. You won't hurt these people."

"Don't listen to him." Gafner yelled as he attacked Demas. He could feel Eckum's power. "You will hurt millions if you fight!"

"Aaaaahh!" Eckum held his head in pain. Trees uprooted and rose into the air as he screamed.

Demas felt himself being flung into the group of women. He lifted his head in time to see Gafner being hit with one of the trees. The planet shook as a crater formed underneath the group. Trees ripped apart as they were thrown at Gafner.

Eckum looked up at his enemy, his eyes glowing white. "This is YOUR fault!"

Fear flashed across Gafner's face as he was held in place by an invisible force. Eckum continued to stare at him as more trees were uprooted and thrown in his direction. Gafner suddenly felt as if his mind was being ripped apart. He struggled against his invisible bonds. He couldn't take the pain.

Demas watched the pain register on Gafner's face. After a few minutes though, his body went limp. Eckum's assault continued.

"Eckum!" A voice called out over the noise.

Eckum and Demas both looked to the source. Kyr appeared to be standing a few feet from Demas. Eckum was instantly affected. The remaining trees and Gafner's body fell to the ground with a thud. His eyes returned to normal and he fell to his knees. For a few seconds he was himself again, then he passed out and fell to the ground.

Demas continued to stare at the woman. "How?" Was all he managed to say.

Kyr vanished and one of the women from the fight took her place. "I guess he never explained that trick to you. He can explain it later, but right now you must go."

"What, why?"

"When myself and my friends were harmed, the other Planetary Protectors would have noticed. They will have sent another unit to help us. I am thankful for your help, but if the other Protectors find him they will execute him. You must leave now if you hope to live."

Demas reverted to normal and nodded his head. "Thanks."

The woman smiled. "No, thank you."

Demas grabbed Eckum's limp body and ran to the ship. The woman watched as it took off. A few minutes later, she was telling the other squad about the fight, leaving out the two heroes that saved them. 


	70. An Alliance is Formed

An Alliance is Formed  
================

Captain Ginyu smiled as the man neared him. He had heard of a fighter more powerful than Frieza. If his friend hadn't been killed by those monkeys he wouldn't have believed it possible. Now this fighter was his only hope for revenge, and he was within his grasp.

"Hello Peragus." Ginyu stepped out from behind a large boulder.

The man turned, his monkey tail twitching slightly. "Who are you? How did you find me?"

"I am Captain Ginyu. As for finding you, that wasn't too difficult. You leave a path of destruction wherever you travel."

"What business do you have with me?"

"I have a proposal. I have heard rumor that you are seeking revenge against the Vegeta family. I believe Prince Vegeta is on a planet called Earth, with a group of Saiyans."

"Why tell me this? What do you gain?"

"I seek revenge against his band of fighters. They killed a good friend of mine and they must pay."

"Did they also take your arm?"

Ginyu absentmindedly touched his stump. "Yes. I seek an alliance in order to defeat them."

Peragus smiled. "That won't be necessary. However if you would like to see them die, you are welcome to come with us."

"Us?"

"My son is the strongest fighter in the universe. He will kill Vegeta."

* * *

Eckum woke with a start. "Where am I?" He asked as he sat up.

"You ask that a lot." Demas laughed. "The answer would be in the ship you gave me. I don't know what happened to the one you came in."

"It was made of junk anyway." Eckum stared into space. "What happened?"

"Well..."

* * *

Orion landed on Kyr's doorstep. Knocking softly he waited for her to answer. He smiled weakly as she opened the door.

"Hi. Can I come in?"

"Of course. Is everything all right?" She led him into the livingroom.

As he sat down on the couch he shook his head slowly. "I've been trying to figure some things out lately. Goku told me a little about you guys... And I was wondering if you could help me."

"Help you how?"

"There's been a lot of talk about The Fathers lately..."

The baby started crying and Kyr walked over to pick her up. "You said it." She said as she rocked her.

"Anyway, I know it's a difficult subject considering... But I thought you might be able to explain what you know. I think we should know as much as possible about them."

Kyr smiled warmly. "That sounds like a good idea. Unfortunately, I don't know much more than you. What about the experiment you're connected with?"

"Danielle? I can't really talk to her. She's only around when I'm unconscious."

"She's in your mind?"

"I guess you could say that. I try not to think about it."

"I might be able to help after all. It will take some effort, but I may be able to help you contact her."

"Really? How?"

"It's complicated, but it involves a trance, and finding someone to watch Laura for a while."

Orion stood. "I'll see what I can do. Thank you."

* * *

Bardock stirred from his nap. Hell was quiet around him.

"You look troubled." Torra observed from a few feet away.

"The Riot Javelin..." Bardock muttered.

"What about it?"

"A feeling. I... Forget it, it's nothing."


	71. Arrival

A/N- I'm back! Okay, maybe I'm the only one excited, but it's still nice to be back in this universe. I've neglected my stories for so long in favor of (gasp) work. I'm sure someone else is glad to see this story up and running again.  


* * *

Arrival

Kyr turned as she heard a knock at the door. She put down the book she was reading and went to answer. When she opened the door she was greeted by Orion, Yamcha, and baby Trunks.

"Oh, hello. It's nice to see you Yamcha." She bowed and stepped back so they could enter.

"Hi. Orion said you needed a babysitter."

The alien woman smiled. "You must be very eager to speak with her."

Orion nodded as she closed the door. "It has been a few years."

The three made their way into the living room, where Laura lay sleeping in a playpen. Kyr gestured for Yamcha to sit on the couch. She and Orion sat across from each other on the floor.

"I'm not sure how long this will take." She informed Yamcha. "Feel free to use anything in the house. If you have any questions, I will keep a portion of my mind open so that I can answer you."

Orion looked puzzled. "That won't slow us down?"

"Perhaps a little, but I don't want to delve completely into your mind. I tried with Eckum and nearly lost myself. Anything to do with The Fathers should be handled with caution." She held out her hands. "Shall we begin?"

Orion hesitantly took her hands. "Just don't give me brain damage." He chuckled nervously.

A mischievous smile crept onto Kyr's face. "Now where's the fun in that?"

Orion began to answer, but just then his eyes began to glaze over. Yamcha watched as Orion and Kyr's breathing synchronized, slowing down immensely. He waved a hand in front of their faces. Neither seemed to notice.

Yamcha sighed. "I hope their okay..."

"We are fine." Kyr answered in a monotone voice.

Yamcha jumped up and placed his hand to his chest. "I forgot she was gonna do that." He smiled as Trunks laughed loudly. "Glad you're amused."

* * *

Captain Ginyu paced the large ship. It would only be a few hours until they arrived at their destination. He knew from experience how strong the fighters on Earth were. And Peragus' son didn't seem very strong. This was likely going to be a wasted mission.

However, if Peragus and his brat could distract the other Saiyans long enough, Ginyu would be able to use his ultimate technique. Those stupid Saiyans wouldn't stand a chance. The former Captain of the Ginyu Force smiled as he thought of the outcome.

* * *

Raditz stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. He glanced at his cracked armor hanging on the wall. No matter how long it hung there, he always felt weird when he wasn't wearing it. Of course, it wouldn't stand up to the training he was enduring lately.

As he remembered his last training session, Vegeta emerged from the kitchen. In his hand was a large bone, picked clean.

The Saiyan Prince glared at Raditz. "You have very little food in your fridge."

"Vegeta, you live here too now. I can't always be the one to hunt."

"Yes you can. I am royalty. You're supposed to serve me... And put some pants on, I need to train some more."

"Can't you train with Kakarot? I just finished showering." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, his head whipped to the right. "Something isn't right..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you feel that? Kakarot is powering up... And an unfamiliar power is drawing near."

"I don't feel a thing, but if Kakarot is getting ready for a fight, maybe I'll join him."

Vegeta walked outside. Raditz quickly dressed and followed. Once out in the cool night air, they noticed Goku staring into the distance.

He turned to them. "Do you feel that?"

Vegeta started to reply, but Raditz beat him to it. "Yes. Although we are going to have to teach Vegeta how to sense energy."

"That'll have to wait. We need to go find out what that large power is, and why it's here."

"Agreed. Is Gohan coming?"

The three lifted into the air. Goku smiled. "He went out for an evening fly. I'm sure he's already on his way."

* * *

Master Roshi took a swig of his beer and walked into the living room. Krillin was pulling on his boots.

Roshi sighed. "I guess that means you aren't going to watch the baseball game with me..."

Krillin smiled as he stood. "I'd love to Master, but I think there's going to be trouble. I can guarantee Goku's gonna be there."

"Wouldn't want him to face it alone." Roshi smiled as his pupil grabbed the door handle. "Be careful out there."

"I will." Krillin bowed before leaving the Kame house.


	72. A New Super Saiyan?

A New Super Saiyan?  
===============

Peragus waited patiently for the ship's hatch to open. As it neared the ground he noticed a teenage boy staring at him. The boy's blonde hair whipped under the power of his own energy.

Gohan glared fiercely. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Peragus smiled. "I seek the Saiyans taking refuge on this planet."

"Well, you've found one."

"You don't look like a Saiyan. Show me your tail."

Gohan smiled as his tail rose out of his pant leg. Peragus gasped. He only knew of one other Saiyan in existence that had blonde hair. This was a bad start. As he contemplated what to do next, Captain Ginyu emerged from behind him.

"Is that boy a Saiyan? They must be reproducing." He had to fight not to show his disgust.

"I would stand aside if I were you." Peragus warned as he stepped to his right. "Broly! Come meet your first challenger!"

Gohan clenched his fists as a third man emerged from the ship. The scrawny man smiled and walked forward slowly.

Peragus smiled. "You should know..." Broly powered up. "Even if you are a Super Saiyan, you can not beat my son."

Gohan raised his eyebrows in shock. How did this man know about Super Saiyans? He caught movement at the man's waist and it became clear. Peragus' tail twitched in anticipation.

Gohan chuckled. "You know, considering that your planet was blown up, there are a lot of Saiyans running around."

"My planet? You are a Saiyan as well, aren't you?"

"Half. This is my planet." Gohan surged all of his energy to the surface, denting the ground underneath him.

Broly smiled wider and transformed into Super Saiyan. Gohan swallowed hard and dropped into his battle stance. Broly rushed him and swung. Gohan barely dodged and returned with a kick to the ribs. Broly smiled and grabbed the boy's foot.

As he was thrown several yards away, Gohan began to think that he had gotten himself in too deep. At most this would be an even fight... and that was pushing it. Not to mention the two other fighters waiting in the wings. He could only hope that someone else had noticed the strange powers and was on their way.

Raditz caught up to Goku and Vegeta. "Kakarot, your son has gone Super Saiyan. We must hurry."

"I know." Goku said as all three men transformed and doubled their speed. "Hold on son, we're coming."

Gohan crossed both hands over his head. "Masenko..." Broly continued to smile and began walking toward his victim. "Ha!"

The beam fired with immense velocity, biting into the Earth as it hit its desired target. Broly pushed both hands forward and stopped the attack. He continued walking toward Gohan. Gohan pushed everything he had into the attack, occasionally stopping his opponent for a few seconds.

Broly screamed and began to walk faster. Gohan swallowed. For the first time since his fight with Frieza, he feared for his life. Knowing that he couldn't keep up his attack without using all of his energy, Gohan let the beam dissipate. He stood motionless, waiting for his opponent to reach him.

As Broly neared him, the man drew back his fist for an attack. Gohan braced himself for the hit, but it never came. Gohan smiled as he watched Raditz's foot connect with Broly's head. He flew sideways several hundred feet.

Raditz turned to Gohan as the other two Saiyans landed. "You started without us."

Gohan hung his head. "I shouldn't have. I can't beat him."

"Don't worry about it. Everyone overestimates their power at some point."

"I hate to interrupt," Vegeta said as Broly rose. "But this fight isn't over."

"Right." Raditz rushed at Broly. "My turn."

Broly smiled and punched Raditz in the face. Raditz stumbled back and stared. He shook his head and began his assault again. Broly took the punches and threw his own. Raditz was dodging as well as he could, but he was still not getting anywhere. Vegeta ran over to join the fight.

Peragus watched as Broly toyed with his opponents. "Broly, stop playing around!" He pulled a small remote from his pocket and pressed a button.

Broly stopped fighting as his brain was electrocuted. He grew angry and grabbed Vegeta's head. Vegeta struggled to free himself, but to no avail. Broly backhanded Raditz and threw Vegeta to the ground. Raditz rose in time to see Vegeta's head being stomped to the ground.

Gohan tensed. "We have to help them."

Goku placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Not yet. Do you remember our fight with Frieza?"

Gohan shuddered. "How could I forget?"

"If there are too many of us fighting at the same time, we risk hurting each other. Once Raditz gets him away from Vegeta, then I'll help. I want you to rest and regain your strength until we need you."

"Okay."

Raditz pulled both hands to his side and began charging a Kamehameha blast. Broly kneed him in the gut, interrupting him. He threw a small green orb at Raditz and watched in amusement as he was propelled away. Goku rushed to catch his brother. He laid Raditz on the ground gently.

Raditz grabbed his shirt. "Kakarot... He is stronger than we are. You can't beat him." His head fell to the ground and his grip loosened as his hair reverted to normal.

Goku stood and saw Gohan dragging Vegeta's unconscious body away. Broly looked from Goku to Gohan, not sure who he should attack. Goku powered to full and began to slowly walk toward Broly.

Broly laughed at Goku and turned toward Gohan. Peragus pushed the button on his remote and Broly cried out in pain.

"You kill the one who is the biggest threat first!" Peragus yelled at his son. "Leave the boy; you know he can't hurt you now."

Broly stared hard at Goku. Goku stared back. Both fighters knew only one would walk away from this fight. 


	73. Kakarot!

Kakorot!  
======

"I don't know who you are," Goku called out. "But I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

Broly laughed as Goku dropped into his fighting stance. "I will enjoy this..." He muttered as he began marching forward.

Goku waited patiently for his opponent to reach him. There was no need to rush someone he knew he could beat. This man was strong for sure, but Goku knew he could beat him with the right strategy.

He tensed as Broly neared him. Broly pulled back his fist and punched as hard as he could. Goku blocked just before it hit. For a few seconds, neither man moved. Then the silence was broken by Goku.

"Ow!" He pulled his arm back and shook it furiously. "You really are strong."

Broly frowned. His attack didn't seem to damage his opponent in the way it should have. It was time for something more drastic. He charged a small green orb into his hand. He gently threw it at Goku. Goku jumped back and deflected the blast.

"Is that it?" He said as he realized how weak the attack was. He failed to notice the larger one growing in Broly's hand.

Broly laughed loudly as his attack grew. Goku looked up at him and his eyes went wide. At least he knew why the first attack was so weak. He charged a Kamehameha into his hands and fired. Broly let loose his attack with a lazy underhand throw.

The two attacks met with explosive force. Goku poured energy into his attack, but it wouldn't budge. The two attacks were at a standoff. Unfortunately for Goku, Broly didn't have to keep adding energy to his.

Peragus watched the amazing display of power. His son still had hidden reserves, but this fight was going on too long. "Broly, finish him while he is distracted!"

Broly shot a look at his father. He knew what would happen if he didn't follow orders. So while Goku was distracted, he calmly walked around behind the man.

Gohan, seeing what was going to happen, intercepted Broly. "I won't let you hurt my dad."

Broly grinned. He had forgotten the boy. He threw a punch and was electrocuted. Gohan stared in amazement as his foe stood motionless for a few seconds.

Peragus was angry. "Do as I say! Finish off the other one first!"

Broly grabbed Gohan's head while he was stunned, and threw him to the side. He ran around behind Goku and pulled back his fist. Goku knew what was going to happen, but the green orb was so close that he couldn't escape if he stopped his own attack. His only hope was his son coming to his aid. And that seemed unlikely.

Goku felt the punch to his back as if from far off. As he lost control of his attack, Broly's flew at him full speed. Goku screamed in agony as the large green orb bit into him. Broly smiled as his enemy fell to the ground.

Gohan stood and watched his father revert to normal. Once again the boy was on his own. "I'll never beat him... But I have to try."

Broly turned to Gohan as the boy raised his energy. He ran straight into battle, kicking the boy in the ribs. Gohan coughed as he staggered back. He threw a flurry of punches. Broly didn't even attempt to block. He took every hit, every blow, as if he were made of stone.

Gohan jumped back as Broly began returning the punches. He dodged as best as he could, but he wasn't fast enough. Several hits landed on his small frame. He doubled over and swept his leg between Broly's. The man tripped and scowled. He jumped up quickly and delivered a roundhouse kick. Gohan flew several feet to his right and skidded to a stop.

Goku grunted as he struggled to rise. He managed one knee and smiled as Broly turned in his direction. "I'm not done yet..."

Broly stopped in his tracks. His eyes got fierce, his heartbeat quickened. "Kakarot..." He muttered as his energy surged.

Peragus watched his son's muscles bulge. This was not good. "Broly!" He pushed the button on his remote. "Don't you dare!"

Broly felt the pain, but he was beyond that now. He grew up and out, his muscles bulging beyond normal physical limits. His hair grew and stood straighter. "KAKAROT!"

"Stop it Broly!" Peragus had begun to panic.

Captain Ginyu stared as the crown on Broly's head exploded. 'So,' He thought. 'That's the source of his control.' He watched in amazement as Goku tensed... And Broly flew right past him. The purple man was barely able to turn his head fast enough to see Broly land a punch in Peragus' face.

Peragus fell backward, his neck bent at an odd angle. Broly stared into Ginyu's eyes as he turned around. Ginyu trembled with fear. Broly left him where he stood and flew at Goku.

"KAKAROOOOOTTTTT!" He pulled back his fist.

Goku tried to stand as the punch came at him. He managed just as he was hit. The blow to his chest was incredible. So much so that he actually passed out. He never felt his body crash through the lone tree on the landscape. But as he landed and skidded through the ground, creating a deep trench, he awoke.

His body felt as if it were on fire. He had never experienced pain like this. He tried to raise his head, to see through half open eyes, but he couldn't muster the strength. He could hear though. He could hear his son being pounded into the ground.

Gohan was thrown yet again. As he rose, he reverted to normal. His breathing was ragged. He didn't think he could last much longer. As Broly slowly marched toward him, he noticed someone land next to him. He turned to look through swollen eyes.

Krillin placed a hand on his shoulder. "Take it easy. I'll handle it from here." He rushed the large man.

"Krillin, Wait!" His cries were ignored.

Broly didn't even stop. He lazily backhanded the monk as he neared. Krillin flew several thousand feet to the left.

"Why does this always happen to meeeeeeeee!" He called as he flew.

Captain Ginyu peeked out from his hiding place. That was close, the little bald guy almost saw him. He had hidden fast enough though, and now it was time to use his technique. He couldn't wait any longer or Broly might kill him.

The purple man jumped out into the open and spread both arms wide... Or more specifically one arm and a stump. "Hey ugly!"

Broly turned. This guy must want to die. He smiled and began walking toward him. Ginyu smiled back. This was too easy. Gohan stared in amazement as the man he thought was the enemy glowed with energy. Was he saving them?

Ginyu waited until his target was too close to dodge. "Body Change!"

Broly's eyebrows rose as he was hit with the beam. It tingled. He smiled as the beam washed over him. Ginyu smiled too as he felt it working. Within seconds, the two men were in each other's bodies.

Broly's eyes widened as he saw himself. "What did you do?"

His body smirked and Ginyu's voice rang out. "I took your power. No filthy monkey deserves this kind of strength. It is mine now!" 


	74. Death of the Legendary Super Saiyan

Death of the Legendary Super Saiyan  
==========================

Broly stared at his body. He looked down at his now purple hand, his weak armor. And his powerless body. He didn't even have both arms to defend himself. He was weak, for the first time in his life, he couldn't kill.

Ginyu smiled. "This power is incredible... I will be unstoppable." He pointed a finger at his former body. "Let's see how powerful I really am."

Gohan watched in amazement as a thin beam erupted from the man's finger, piercing the other man. The purple horned body fell, lifeless, to the ground. He watched the man swagger toward Vegeta's unconscious body. This wasn't the same man that he had been a few minutes ago. His body may have looked like Broly's, but this was purely the other man. That might make things easier.

As Vegeta was stomped into the ground, Gohan stumbled over to his dad. "Dad, are you okay?"

Goku opened one eye. "I'm alive. But I don't have any energy left."

"That purple guy, he switched bodies with the big guy. He might not know how to use all of his new power yet. Now's our chance... But I can't do it."

Goku smiled weakly. "I have an idea... But neither of us has the energy. We need help..."

As if on cue, Tien dropped from the sky. "Did I hear someone ask for the cavalry?" He smiled at Goku. "What can I do?"

Goku held out a hand. "Let me borrow some of your energy..."

"You got it." Tien grabbed Goku's hand and began transferring energy to his friend.

After a few seconds, Goku sat up. "I'll need you two to distract him. Keep him away from me."

Tien nodded. Gohan looked worried. "What are you going to do?"

"It's a little technique King Kai taught me in Other World." He smiled broadly. "It should be enough to finish him."

Gohan and Tien rushed the new Ginyu from both sides. He laughed as they landed a flurry of kicks and punches. "You don't seriously think you can win, do you? I am unstoppable!"

The familiar white glow of the Spirit Bomb lit the sky. Goku frowned. It was taking too long. The attack had to be stronger than the last time he used it, or it wouldn't even scratch this guy.

Gohan flew back and landed in the dirt. He looked up at his father's attack. He hadn't got a good look the last time it was used. It was beautiful. He stood shakily and renewed his attack.

Ginyu laughed maniacally as he blocked the weak punches. Neither of these two could hurt him, even if he let them. He blocked a kick to his ribs from Gohan and punched Tien in the gut. He watched in amusement as the three eyed man doubled over in pain.

Gohan punched his foe once again, and was repaid with a double punch to his face. He flew back a few feet, but was caught by Tien. "Thanks." He said as he stood.

"Don't mention it." Tien rushed the large man, noticing that he seemed smaller than a few seconds ago.

Gohan rejoined the fight. "Hey, how come Mr. Chiaotzu didn't come?"

Tien dodged an energy blast and smiled warmly. "I told him not to. It was too dangerous."

"But he's as strong as you."

"Almost, yeah. But I swore, a long time ago, to protect him. I couldn't bear to watch him die again."

Ginyu knocked Gohan down and stomped on his chest. He was surprised to notice that he felt his energy draining. Something was wrong.

Tien laughed. "I was right... You are getting weaker." He punched the man in the face. "It seems your body is out of sync with your mind."

Ginyu punched back. "There is nothing wrong with me." He bluffed. "I simply felt no reason to use all of my power on you two weaklings." Tien laughed as Ginyu's new body shrank. His hair reverted to black and he stood perfectly still. "Impossible! How could this happen?"

Goku smiled. For some reason Ginyu had gotten much weaker. The Spirit Bomb was strong enough to beat him now. 'Tien! Get him into the air!' He telepathically contacted his friend.

Tien smiled. "I guess our time is up." Ginyu looked as if he were about to say something, but Tien punched him in the gut with everything he had. Ginyu lifted several inches off the ground. Tien used his momentum to push the man into the air. Several hundred feet into the air, he let go and flew to the ground.

Ginyu floated there, looking mortified. "Why do you run?" He mocked. "Am I still too strong for you?"

Tien said nothing as Goku's attack hurtled at the man. Ginyu didn't even notice the ball until it hit him. He screamed in agony as it destroyed him. Eventually the attack dissipated, leaving no trace of Ginyu.

Goku's shoulders slumped. It was over. "Hey guys!" He yelled. "How about we go home."

Gohan and Tien nodded. Tien walked over and gently lifted Raditz. Goku joined him and grabbed Vegeta.

Vegeta awoke in Goku's arms and immediately rolled over. Goke laughed as he tried to pick him up again. "Hold still Vegeta, I'm trying to help."

"I don't need your help."

"Vegeta, you can't even stand."

"Leave me, I'll get up myself."

"The fight's over; you don't need to prove anything."

"I don't care. What does a Saiyan have if not his pride?"

Goku punched him in the gut and lifted his unconscious body. "Friends who care about you..."

* * *

Eckum smirked as he opened the door to the storage room. "Training hard I see."

Demas stopped doing push-ups and turned to sit. "What's up?"

Eckum leaned against the wall and sighed. "I've been thinking about your girl..."

Demas raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Well, it's kind of a longshot, but I know of an object... Kind of a small box. It's supposed to allow you to bring anyone to you."

"How does that help? Lira doesn't want to come back."

"I've thought of that. The box isn't exactly something you can argue with. If you tell it to get her, it will. She won't have a choice. She might have stayed in Otherworld because she's looking for you."

"You think she thinks I'm dead?"

"It's possible. Most people wouldn't hold out much hope of finding you if they saw a barren landscape where you were supposed to be."

Demas smiled lightly. "So where is this box?"


	75. In My Head

In My Head

Orion floated through darkness. He saw nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing. Eventually his ears seemed to pop and Kyr's voice could be heard faintly. He turned his blind eyes in different directions, searching for the source.

"Where are you?" He called into the darkness. "I can barely hear you."

As if from a great distance Kyr's voice replied quietly, "I'm right next to you. Please don't yell, I can hear you just fine."

Orion blinked as something flashed before his eyes. "Where are we?" He asked in a normal voice, hoping she really could hear him fine.

"Your psyche." She answered. Her voice seemed clearer now, but still distant. "I think your having trouble because you didn't really believe this would work. Your mind doesn't know how to handle it."

The theory seemed plausable. "So what now?"

"Now, we wait."

Orion shook his head slowly. He didn't like being helpless, and doing nothing wasn't helping the situation. He looked down as he felt something squeezing his hand. He saw nothing. "Are you holding my hand?" He asked quietly.

Kyr chuckled, her voice sounding much nearer. "Yes. Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No. I still can't see though."

"It will come. Incidentally, you have a visitor."

Orion wrinkled his brow in confusion.

"Orion..." The voice was gentle, sweet. "Can he hear me?"

Realization dawned on him as Kyr answered in the affirmative. "Danielle?" Tears threatened to fall.

"It's me." Her voice was beautiful, bringing back memories of a happier time. "I've missed you."

He smiled, the tears streaming freely. "Me too." He blinked several times trying to regain his vision. He had to see her, to touch her. His hand let go of Kyr's and reached out in front of him. "Please..."

He felt his hand be pushed down as she embraced him. Her beath tickled his ear as she spoke. "I can't believe I actually get to talk to you in person."

"I know..." He smiled as color began to fade in around him. "I never thought I'd see you again."

She pulled away from him, her face focusing slowly in his vision. "Kyr explained it to me. She told me why you're here."

He frowned. "We don't have to get right to it. I still can't even see you completely."

She laughed. "You're not missing much. I mean you already know what I look like. And I'm wearing the same clothes you are." He appeared to think that over. "I'm in your head, I have to wear what you wear."

He smiled again. "I'll bet you look better than me."

Her smile warmed his heart as his vision returned to normal. "I won't argue with you there."

"It's good to see you again." He said as he hugged her again. "I really have missed you."

"And I you, but we shouldn't wait any more. Every second you spend here is draining your friend."

Orion looked over at Kyr. She was smiling, but she seemed pale. The concentration was evident in her eyes. "You're right. I'm sorry." He broke the embrace and sat down on the solid surface he was now standing on. "What can you tell us about The Fathers?"

Yamcha sighed as Laura began crying. It seemed she wasn't going to stay down for her nap after all. As he lifted her out of the playpen he noticed her staring intently at her mother.

He rocked her gently. "It's okay, your mom's fine."

"Yes I am." He jumped slightly as Kyr's monotone voice replied. "She likely senses my exhaustion. We will be returning soon."

Laura quieted to gentle sobs as her own exhaustion overtook her. She slept fitfully in Yamcha's arms. He smiled down at the baby and placed her back into the playpen. Settling back down onto the couch, he waited.

Explosions rocked Hell. Frieza smiled to himself as the Saiyans fought to get at him. Together they might be able to destroy him, but the riot he started would keep them busy for a while. The tyrant surveyed his handiwork, chuckling as members of the Ginyu Force took out two of the weaker Saiyans. If he was destined to be destroyed, that was alright. He was enjoying himself.


	76. A Tiger in the Grass

A/N: I would like to address the comments I've received about the original characters taking over. I would like to assure you that the main focus of the story is the main characters from the show. However, there is a lot of time in the DBZ universe where very little happens, and I do want the original characters to get some time to themselves once in a while. I also began writing this story with the intention of progressing well beyond the actual DBZ timeline and continuing the story with the younger generations.

That being said, my original characters have their own story arcs coming up. As it will be another 6 1/2 years (in story) before the Buu saga starts, I have decided to slow down and add a little more action in the blank space that Toriyama left open.

A Tiger in the Grass...  
==============

Gohan stared out at the semi-barren landscape. Sparse patches of grass were growing around him. Even after the destruction he had caused to this place, it fought to survive. He admired that. A small smile formed on his lips as he lay his head back onto the ground. Today was a good day.

Ever since the fight with Broly, his dad had been spending more time with him. The Earth raised Saiyan really wanted to be a better father. He seemed to finally get that fighting wasn't the answer to everyone's problems. He usually made an effort to listen to Gohan's worries and dreams. And Gohan felt better than he had in a long time.

His orange Gi, a replica of his father's, rippled in the breeze. It was a nice warm day. Gohan welcomed the cool air that blew through his hair. Today was a training day. Assuming Chi-Chi's morning sickness didn't get too bad, Goku would be along shortly to start the day's lesson.

Gohan stood slowly and bent backward, stretching his back and shoulder muscles. Today would be his first official lesson since he fought Broly four months ago. Sure Goku had tried to sneak in a pointer or two during sparring sessions, but this would be a true learning day. Gohan just wished he knew what his dad had in store for him.

His smile grew wide as he felt the air behind him blow harder, a sign that someone was landing. The youth turned and was surprised to see his father and Krillin smiling at him. "Uh, hi Krillin. I didn't know you were coming."

Krillin laughed lightly, "Neither did I. But when I got to your house your dad asked me to tag along."

Goku grinned sheepishly, "To be honest, I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to teach you. I thought Krillin could help."

Gohan shook his head as a soft chuckle escaped his throat. His dad could face a villain without flinching, but he could be intimidated by the smallest tasks. "So what am I learning today?" He directed his question at Krillin.

"Uh, well..." Krillin rubbed the back of his neck, "Let's start with what you already know."

"Well," Gohan began recalling his previous training. "Yamcha taught me the basics. Mr Chiaotzu taught me to fly. And Dad taught me about pushing my energy out to transform."

Krillin brightened. "I didn't realize your knowledge was so rudimentary." He saw Gohan's scowl and Goku's confused stare, "It means basic Goku. And don't feel bad Gohan, I didn't mean it in a bad way. I'm actually impressed that you've gotten to be so strong without proper training. I guess it's the Saiyan in you."

Gohan's mind flashed to his brief history lessons with Vegeta years earlier. "Must be."

"So how 'bout we try some Ki control excercises to see how far along you are. I'll bet you it'll come in handy in a fight." Gohan nodded and Krillin continued, "First I want you to carefully surge your energy around your body. Focus on how it feels. Good, that's great. Now, do the exact opposite."

Gohan let his energy drop and stared, "What?"

Goku smiled, "Instead of letting your energy flow around you, your going to suppress it. Make it so we can't sense you. Like this."

Gohan's eyes went wide, "It's like you're not there..."

Krillin nodded his head sagely and waited. Gohan shook himself out of his reverie and closed his eyes. Concentration came easily to the boy and he worked hard to replicate his father's feat. As Gohan continued trying to suppress his energy, the two teachers whispered among themselves.

Goku spoke first, "He's almost got it."

"Yeah," Krillin smiled. "Then all he has to do is catch you."

Goku's forehead creased in confusion, "What do you mean 'Catch me'? I thought this was a Ki excercise. What does a race have to do with anything?"

"Not a race," Krillin shook his head. "A training excercise. I'll explain once he's got the suppression down."

"That might take a while."

"I haven't got anything planned for a few days. I'll be here when he's ready."

Orion finished jotting down his note and set the pen down. He and Danielle had figured out a way to communicate with each other. It wasn't perfect and at times he wished she was dead just so she could be brought back, but the note method worked fairly well. He left a note and she would read it when he fell asleep, leaving her answer on the other side of the paper.

He placed the folded note on the nightstand next to the bed and bagan taking off his boots. He had learned a lot about The Fathers since his visit to Kyr, even discovering some weaknesses through study of their personalities, but now he had questions about other aspects of his connection to Danielle. The current question was about his death. What would happen to her if he died?

He had no reason to believe she would know, or that it wouldn't be horrible if she did. She had put all of her effort into keeping him alive since her imprisonment. It bothered him to think of what might happen to her in the future. Even if she kept him from being murdered, he would still die someday. He fell backward onto the bed and closed his eyes. She would answer as best as she could. He would have to accept that.

He awoke standing in his shower. The hot water cascaded onto his head, matting his hair down. He grabbed the handle in front of him and shut off the water. Stepping out of the shower he saw a large smiley face drawn into the steam on the mirror. He shook his head and toweled off.

Towel wrapped around his waist, he made his way to his bed. Sitting on the edge, he picked up the note from the nightstand and unfolded it.

- That's an interesting question. Sorry I don't really know the answer. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it... You know, I just realized something: I haven't had a shower in years. I'm gonna go enjoy the water. -

Orion chuckled as he put the note down. Her answer was about what he had expected. At least she wasn't bored while she was out.

Hercule Satan was dumbfounded. He was the proudest father on Earth. His daughter could out-fight grown men, she had the brains of someone several grades above her. Why was she so upset?

"Videl honey, I don't understand what you mean. How could your life suck?"

His eleven year old daughter stared up at him with wet eyes. "Come on dad... I beat people up for fun, I'm bored at school, and I'm not... You know..."

Hercule furrowed his brow in confusion. "No, I really don't. You're not what?"

Videl's cheeks reddened. "Womanly."

"I... Uh..." The World Champion was at a loss. He knew he should say something encouraging, but secretely he hoped she would never be womanly. The thought of her dating was just too much to bear.

"Forget it!" She yelled as she stormed out of the room.

Hercule stared after her. "I have got to find her a woman to talk to..." He mumbled to himself as he followed her out of the room.


	77. Can Catch a Dragons Tail

...Can Catch a Dragon's Tail

Demas sighed as he stared at the exposed wires. "I don't get it. I can't find anything wrong."

Eckum floated down from the ceiling where he had been working. "Me either. It's like someone ran an EMP through the ship."

"We picked a great place to get stranded. There isn't a habitable planet anywhere near here."

Eckum lit a large orb of energy in his hand. The black orb gave the inside of the ship an eerie glow as it dispelled the shadows. "I hope we rotate back toward that star at least. Trying to work in the dark is hard."

Demas lit his own orb, highlighting the wires in front of him. "There has to be something..."

* * *

"Good Gohan." Goku smiled as he felt his son's energy vanish. He looked toward Krillin, "I think he might be ready for your race."

Krillin sighed as he stood up. "I told you Goku, it's not a race." He pulled a bandana from his pocket, "It's a training excercise. It will help you both."

Goku smiled. "That's good. So what's the bandana for?"

"It's a blindfold." Krillin's mischevious grin made Goku step back. "You're gonna wear it."

Gohan's energy returned. "Why?" The boy asked as he walked closer to his teachers.

"Well," Krillin answered slowly, "You're gonna try and hit your dad. He won't be able to see you or sense you."

"But won't that be too easy?"

"Don't worry, your dad has experience fighting blind. I'm sure it willl be harder than you think."

Goku grabbed the blindfold out of Krillin's hand and tied it around his head. "Come on Gohan, it'll be fun."

Gohan took a step forward hesitantly, but Krillin stopped him. "Don't forget to suppress. You don't want him to sense you."

"Right." Gohan answered as he shut down his power.

Goku stood completely motionless as he waited. Gohan stepped sideways around his father, carefully coming up behind him. He sprang, swinging for Goku's head. Goku calmly dodged out of the way.

"How did I miss?" Gohan asked as he stumbled to a halt.

Goku laughed. "You let your energy spike right before your attack. I felt you coming."

"Try to control your breathing too." Krillin added. "Don't let him hear you."

Gohan nodded. He pulled his energy as far into him as he could and stared at his father. He would be expecting him to attack from the back again. With absolutely no warning, he launched a kick at Goku's ribs. Goku jumped backward inches from being hit.

Gohan stared in amazement. "What did I do wrong this time?"

"Nothing." Krillin answered. "I told you your dad had experience fighting blind."

Gohan shook his head in wonder. Gathering his wits about him, he decided to try a different strategy. He ran to his left and released his energy for a fraction of a second then ran back to his right. As Goku ducked away from the energy he felt, Gohan swung from the other side.

Goku stumbled as his son's attack hit him. "Nice one, Gohan." He lifted the blindfold and smiled at his son. "I should have thought of that."

Gohan grinned. "Thanks."

Krillin pulled Goku's blindfold back down. "Now we try it in three dimensions. Goku, fly up and get ready."

* * *

"Yes!" Demas exulted as the lights returned to the ship. "What did you do?"

Eckum looked at him curiously as he replaced the panel he had open. "I thought you did it."

They both stared for a minute, then Demas broke the silence. "Who cares, we're back in business. Now let's get back on course and find that box."

Eckum smiled. "My pleasure."


	78. The Cube of Netis

The Cube of Netis

Demas stared at the dying trees surrounding him. The ground seemed about ready to crumble at the slightest provocation. "Are you sure this is the right place?" He asked as he stepped around a rather large sinkhole.

Eckum nodded as he pulled a branch out of his way.

"And we aren't flying because..."

Eckum held up his right hand and summoned a pea sized orb of energy. "If that's all I can muster, imagine how much you can accomplish."

Demas shook his head. "What's happening?"

"It's draining our energy. It needs our energy to work. This whole planet is dying because of it. If the rumors are true, this is the third planet that's housed it."

"If it's killing the planet, why do they keep moving it? Why not let it get lost?"

Eckum picked up his pace. "Because people want to use it. Would you sacrifice an uninhabited planet to cheat the laws of death?"

Demas nodded. "I kinda feel like I am already. I don't regret it though."

"Yeah. The Cube of Netis is an odd object. No one even knows where it came from. Legend has it that a woman once used it to bring a great warrior to her planet. I don't know why she needed him or what happened to them after, but the planet eventually collapsed in on itself from the box's demands."

"Kinda defeats the purpose of saving it doesn't it?"

"I don't think she knew the price. I don't even know how it escaped the planet's destruction... Someone found it one day and realized it was killing their planet, so they moved it somewhere no one would be hurt by it. Apparently, it's been moved once more since then." Eckum stopped walking. "We're here."

Demas looked around at the ruined buildings. "Are you sure this place was uninhabited when they moved it here?"

"I think this is a shrine." Eckum's hand ran along a broken wall, the pale sunlight glinting off of his hand blades. "It's in here."

The two stepped through a large hole and approached a large stone box, the lid cracked on the floor. Demas peered inside and whistled. Inside was a small cube, barely the size of his hand. The cube was made of what appeared to be solid white marble, glowing runes carved all over it.

"You recognize the language?" He asked Eckum.

Eckum shook his head. "It's nothing I've ever seen." Demas reached out his hand to grab the box and Eckum grabbed his other arm. "Don't..."

The world faded from around them as Demas' hand made contact. They found themselves inside a six-sided room made of the same material as the cube.

Eckum smacked Demas in the back of the head. "There might be traps."

Demas smiled sheepishly. "Oops."

"What now? I don't see a door."

Demas walked toward a wall. "Maybe we can bust our way out..." The wall he was near slid up and out of sight. "Or the walls will open up for us."

Eckum stared down the winding hall. His eyes widened slightly as he met Demas' gaze. "Did you hear that?"

Demas nodded. "You mean the random thought that just popped in my head telling me to approach the alter?"

"That would be correct. I wonder how far away the alter is..."

"Only one way to find out." Demas stepped into the hall.

Eckum followed slowly behind. For nearly ten minutes they walked, wondering where the end was. Eckum was stopped in his tracks as something grabbed his foot. He looked down to see a hand, seemingly made of shadow, holding him in place. "Um, Demas..."

"What?" Demas asked as he turned around. "Oh..." He froze as a body, attatched to the hand, rose from the floor. "What exactly is that?"

Eckum pulled his foot. "I wish I knew."

The creature pulled back and grabbed one of his arms. Demas took two steps forward and was caught himself. He looked down as another creature rose, holding both of his ankles. He pulled back his fist and punched it in the head. The creature let go and reeled backward as another grabbed him from behind.

He quickly dispatched the second one and looked back to Eckum. "I'm coming!" He yelled as three more dropped from the ceiling to intercept him.

Eckum covered his face with one hand as he was attacked by four of the creatures. He had no hope of defending himself against this many attackers without his energy. Physically he wasn't any stronger than most humans. Without energy to manipulate, he wasn't any use in a fight.

Demas cried out in rage as he was mobbed. There had to be at least fifteen of the things on him now. For every one he took out, it seemed that two more took its place. He spun as he heard a thump. Peering through the shadowy creatures he could see Eckum's unconscious form slumped against a wall.

Screaming in rage, he flared the insignificant amount of energy left to him. The creatures faded as the light pierced them. Demas pushed through their wavering bodies and punched two more as he neared Eckum. He lifted the fallen Terranian's body and turned around. He stared at the hundreds of shadowy beings that now surrounded him. They didn't seem to be stopping.

There was no turning back now. The only way out was to reach the alter. Apologizing to his ally, he grabbed a tight hold of Eckum's leg and swung him like a club. Several creatures were knocked back, hitting even more. Demas shouldered Eckum and leapt into the air. As he came down on the other side of his assailants, he saw the alter. It was only a hundred or so feet away.

Coiling his legs he leapt again, hoping to cover the distance faster. As his body left the ground, a creature grabbed his legs. Eckum's body, under the laws of inertia, continued to fly as Demas was slammed to the ground. Demas was instantly swarmed, unable to rise.

Eckum rolled to a stop ten feet from the alter. As he regained consciousness, he slowly sat up. He looked over and saw Demas' arm lying limp, no other part of him visible. He also noticed several of the beings staring intenlty at him, refusing to come closer. He looked down at their feet and saw a glowing line seperating them from him. They weren't able to reach him. Demas was only a few feet from the line, but Eckum knew that he couldn't save him. His only chance was to use the alter and make his request.

As quickly as his battered body would allow, he rose and stumbled to the alter. Nearly collapsing upon the alter, he heard a deep voice address him.

"Make your request, but know this: A life must be traded for my services. You will die."

Eckum swallowed. "What about him?" He pointed weakly in the direction of Demas and the shadows.

"He will be returned to the outside. I only require one life."

"Then I offer my life in exchange for the Wildfire known as Lira. She is in Otherworld."

"I accept."

Demas woke with a start. His vision blurred as he sat up too quickly. He felt like he had just been someone's punching bag. Then it came back to him: The box, the fight, the pummeling. Eckum must have made it to the alter.

"Eckum?" He called out as he stood. Immediately his vision went dark. He saw... Something. A memory, a vision? Eckum lay sprawled across the alter, blood dripping from his torso. Then a face flashed across his mind. It was dark, evil. As soon as it had come, the scene was gone, replaced with the ruined shrine.

"No..." Was all he could manage. He knew what had happened, what had to have happened. Eckum had sacrificed his life in order to use the box's power. But then...

Demas spun around. Lira's beautiful face stared at him. "Lira..." Tears flowed freely as he embraced her. He stayed like that for several seconds before realizing that she wasn't returning the hug. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Her eyes stared blankly at him. She wasn't whole. Something was missing.

"Her soul... Where's her soul?"

Amazingly, he recieved an answer. "I can not bring a soul back from Otherworld. This is all you can have."

He looked back at the soulless body before him. She looked exactly as he remembered, smelled exactly how he remembered. He was so close... "I can't leave you like this." She tilted her head to the side and grunted. She was trying to learn. This couldn't go on.

His tears blinded him as he grabbed her head in his hands. With a quick jerk it was over. Her dead body slumped to the ground. He fell to his knees in anguish. As he cried he heard the cryptic words from years earlier echo in his mind.

"You have killed the one you love. Why?"

Demas' tears fell faster. "I'm sorry... It had to be done..."

* * *

Kyr dropped the plate she was holding. She grabbed her chest as the plate shattered. It felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest. She fell to the floor on her side. Her lips parted in pain. "Eckum..." She whispered softly as she passed out.


	79. One out, One in

One out, One in

Sweat drenched Vegeta's face. His left arm was wrapped behind his back, with all of his weight being supported by his right index finger. As he began yet another one fingered push-up he sensed an attack coming his way. Pushing off with his finger, he flipped to his left and landed expertly. As he resumed his push-ups Raditz chuckled.

"It's nice to see your training is paying off."

Vegeta grunted as he stood. "It's not enough." He caught the towel that had been thrown at him and began wiping his face. "I will not be saved again. I am the Prince of all Saiyans and I deserve to be the strongest."

Raditz ran his fingers through his hair. It was something he did frequently since having lost most of it. "I'm all for getting stronger, but we don't need to rush it. You're at my level already."

"But Kakarot is still stronger."

Raditz nodded his agreement. "You have a point. We should catch up to him soon though. I'm just saying that we shouldn't burn ourselves out. A tired fighter is no use to anyone."

Vegeta threw the towel back at Raditz and turned toward the house. "I'm going to eat."

Raditz hung the towel around his neck and followed.

* * *

Yamcha stood on Kyr's lawn. Ever since Eckum had left the planet, he had been babysitting Laura while Kyr was working. Upon his arrival this morning he had discovered a most disturbing scene. Laura could be heard crying from the back of the house and Kyr was lying on the kitchen floor, ceramic pieces scattered around her. He had tried everything he could think of to snap her out of her reverie, but to no avail.

Eventually he had no choice but to contact the others in hopes that they could help. Now he stood on the front lawn waiting. Trunks sat quietly pouting at his feet. Laura would not stop crying and refused to let him hold her. It wasn't surprising considering the psychic powers that existed in every Terranian from birth.

"What's going on?" Orion asked as he landed. Yamcha's eyes were filled with concern. "Your message sounded urgent."

Trunks began sniffling at Yamcha's feet. "It's Kyr. I don't know what's wrong with her." Yamcha bent down and picked up his son. "It's almost like she's lost function of her brain or something."

Orion shook his head as he walked toward the door. "I asked her if her abilities were dangerous..."

He pushed the door open gently and made his way through the house, inspecting the rooms for clues as to the events that had caused this mess. Yamcha hadn't followed, making Orion wonder why the baby was still in the house. The crying was almost too much to bear. A deep sorrow could be felt from the young Terranian, as if she knew the exact cause of her mother's condition.

As he entered the kitchen a wave of despair hit him. The feeling was so intense he stumbled backward. This wasn't coming from Laura; it was emanating from the woman lying on the floor in front of him. He knelt down and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Kyr?"

Suddenly his head whipped forward and smacked into the counter, knocking him unconscious. As he awoke his head felt like it was in a vice. He glanced over at Kyr and noticed a piece of paper taped to her shirt. He picked it up and read the words scribbled in a familiar handwriting.

- I took over after your accident. She's whispering the name Eckum. I can feel the loss of the third weapon. I believe her love has died. I don't understand how, but it would explain her condition. A being with that kind of psychic abitlity would feel the loss of someone she cared about very intensely. She will eventually regain her composure, though how long I can not say. Just be there for her until then. -

Orion stood from his kneeling position and walked outside. "Yamcha, it looks like we're going to be here for a while. It seems Eckum has died and she's felt it."

"How do you know?"

"Danielle can feel that the third weapon is gone. That means either Eckum or the other half is dead. And since Kyr is so affected we assume it's Eckum."

Yamcha stared in disbelief. "What could kill a guy that powerful?"

"I don't know." Orion said somberly. "But it makes me worry about Demas."

* * *

Gohan stood next to the hospital bed. Chi-Chi proudly held her newest son in her arms. "Wow Dad; he looks like you, only smaller."

Goku beamed happiness. "Gee, ya think so?" He looked at Chi-Chi, whose smile was a little sad looking. "What's wrong Chi-Chi?"

She shook her head. "I just realized that he's going to end up a fighter like you two." She sighed. "I guess I'll have to live with it."

Gohan chuckled. "Don't worry mom, I'll tutor him while we're training. What's his name anyway?"

"Well I thought we'd stick with the family tradition of starting his name with Go. How about Goten?"

Goku smiled. "I like it, but what does he think?"

Gohan stuck his finger in his little brother's hand. "How about it? Is your name Goten?" The baby squeezed his finger tight. "Oh yeah, I think he likes it."

* * *

On a distant planet far from Earth a man robed in dirty clothes walked across a dying planet. In his hand he held a small white stone box. Runes covered it, though they no longer glowed. Demas gripped the box tighter as he felt a rumbling under his feet. The volcano was near.

It was a good thing too. The box was slowly killing him as it drained away what little energy he had left. But it was worth it if he could ensure that no one ever lost their life to the thing again. He would throw it into the volcano. Even though it would probably be unharmed, it would be encased in obsidian once the magma hit the cold air of space.

Because the planet would collapse. And when it did, the nightmare would be over. No one would stumble upon the Cube of Netis again. He would make sure of it...


	80. Life Goes On

Life Goes On...  
===============

Gohan watched his little brother wobble as he took a step. It had been nearly a year since Goten was born and he was more energetic than ever. Gohan sat back in the grass and smiled. Today was one of rest. Goku and Chi-Chi were setting up a picnic several feet away and Goten tentatively explored the world around him.

It had been several days since Goku or Gohan had trained. Goku felt it necessary to take the whole week off once in a while. And while Gohan felt the need to get stronger, he also enjoyed just relaxing with his family. It was a trade-off; and one well worth it.

* * *

Orion gently bounced Laura on his knee as Kyr made her something to eat. Kyr had recovered greatly in the last eight months, even smiling every now and again. Orion had moved in with her to help with the grieving and the baby. He figured there was no reason to spend all of his time training in his cave home anymore. He had only been doing it to keep up with Demas, and he had to assume Demas was dead now.

Kyr came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of food. "Here you are Laura."

The toddler clapped her hands as she was set on the ground. She quickly walked over to her mother with a big smile on her face. Kyr smiled back as she sat on the floor. Orion was happy to see her enjoying her day.

* * *

A single white orb flew through space. It was one of the pods used in Frieza's army, though the logo was scratched off. The man inside had not been a servant of Frieza in a long time. His mission now was not one of war, but one of recruitment.

Ever since Frieza's death, and the death of his father and brother, the universe had taken to finding new things to keep the peace. It's newest project was the very first Intergalactic Fighting Tournament. Designed as a way to let people let out their aggression without killing others, the tournament would take place very soon. If successful it would take place every six months by Standard Intergalactic Time.

It was this man's job to recruit fighters for the first tournament. Having heard rumors of strong fighters on the planet Earth, he had set the coordinates and left immediately. He would make sure this tournament was successful.

After several weeks of travel, he hit the planet with a thud. He cracked his neck as he rose from the pod. "These things are killer on the spine."

"Who are you?"

The man looked up to see several men waiting at the lip of his crater. "Ahoy there!" He walked slowly up the sloped earth. "My name is Kal. I'm here to present an invitation."

One of the shorter men dropped into a battle stance. "We don't want it."

"Hang on Vegeta." Goku held up a hand. "What kind of invitation?"

Kal smiled openly. "I have come seeking strong fighters."

Before anyone could react, Vegeta had his hand around the man's neck. "I told you, we don't want any part of it."

Goku placed a hand on his friend's arm. "What's going on Vegeta?"

The Saiyan prince cocked his head toward the pod. "Doesn't anyone recognize that ship? It's a standard issue Invasion Pod... Frieza."

Raditz's eyes widened as he saw the scratched off logo. "Kill him now before he tries something."

The man's face became serious."I know what you must be thinking, but Frieza's dead."

"We know, " Vegeta's grip tightened. "We're the ones who killed him."

Gasping for air, the man grinned. "Then you're exactly who I'm here to see." He coughed several times as Vegeta let go. "I'm a recruiter."

Vegeta's hand began to glow with energy. "I'm done with that army, Frieza or not."

"As am I." He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "An invitation to the very first Intergalactic Fighting Tournament."

Goku took the paper and looked it over. "It says here that it's exclusive to strong fighters. How do you tell who's strong enough?"

"I have a scanner in my pod. Anyone with a Power Level over 500,000 is invited. Though I don't even have to scan the ones who defeated Frieza. I'm sure you can all handle yourselves regardless of your Power Levels."

Vegeta grunted and dismissed the energy in his hand. "Why would we want to fight in your tournament?"

"It's meant to be a way to keep the peace in the universe. We don't want another hostile take over."

Raditz shook his head. "It sounds to me that's exactly what's going to happen. What do you think is going to happen to the winner?" He took two steps forward. "He's going to think that no one can stop him. He's going to try and rule the universe himself."

Goku beamed with excitement. "Then I guess we'll have to go."

Vegeta turned and stared. "Your logic baffles me Kakarot. How could you possibly come to that conclusion?"

"Well if we're worried about the winner trying to take over, then we need to be there to make sure it's one of us. Besides, don't you want to see how many other strong fighters there are out there?"


End file.
